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Trust Your Intuition ... Unless Overwhelmed

January 2025

Trust Your Intuition

It’s no secret that I strongly believe in the importance of trusting intuition. However, in recent weeks I’ve heard a few people say their intuition or gut or inner voice was telling them to do something that, to me, felt a little off. On each occasion the person was overwhelmed in the face of a particular situation, or life in general.

This challenged a long-held conviction of mine that we must each follow our inner guidance no matter what, with the unspoken assumption that no one else is in a better position to tell us what to do, and no outer advice is more reliable than our own intuition. Lately I’ve wondered if it’s not as black and white as this. Could it be possible that at certain times, someone else may have a clearer perspective on what’s best for us?

When I reflect on my own life, I can remember instances when I followed other people’s guidance – even if it didn’t match up with what my intuition appeared to be saying – and things turned out well because I listened to them. What those events all had in common was that I was stressed or anxious at the time, and yes, just a tad overwhelmed.

So maybe there needs to be a disclaimer following the advice to “trust your intuition.” A more complete statement would be: “Trust your intuition … unless you’re overwhelmed.”

What About Rock Bottom?

It’s not uncommon to hear that there’s value in hitting rock bottom in life, because it can lead to clarity about how to move forward so that things change for the better.

While it’s true that such moments can lead to clear flashes of insight, they also tend to be overwhelming and stressful for the average person. There’s a risk of staying stuck, or of suffering for longer than is necessary. If we find ourselves at rock bottom, then of course it can be used as a catalyst to rise above our circumstances and learn from the experience. It’s just that there’s no need to wait to hit such a low point before taking positive action.

As soon as we feel ourselves falling into an emotional pit or spiralling into overwhelm, we can act right away. We must do whatever it takes to lift ourselves up and become more peaceful. It could involve listening to an upbeat song, watching a funny video, visualising a relaxing scenario, or reaching out to a friend or someone else to talk to.

Under the Water

This is not to say we should ignore our intuition during overwhelming situations, only that we remain careful at those times, understanding that our intuitive ability may be a little compromised.

It’s a bit like being in a boat and trying to look under the surface of the water. If we’re splashing around or there are big waves, it’s going to be difficult to know for sure what’s underneath. We might think, “There must be something terrible down there, something dangerous.” Maybe, but maybe not, we can’t see properly yet. Or we may be tempted to dive off the boat, exclaiming: “Treasure is down there, how could there not be?!”

Once we stop splashing and the waves have settled, we can get a clearer glimpse of what’s really in the water. We might see the outlines of beautiful seashells or tropical fish and decide to hop out of the boat for a fun snorkelling experience. Or we may spot bluebottles that could sting us, or old rubbish floating around, and remain content to stay inside the boat.

To trust our intuition, we need to calm our emotional waters so we can look inside ourselves and feel what’s there. It’s not necessary to be in a perfectly zen state, but we need at least some emotional stability and to be relatively calm if we wish to rely on our intuitive guidance.

Once we feel centred enough and no longer overwhelmed – whether it’s through our own efforts or from accepting support and advice from others – then we can continue to enjoy the benefits of trusting and following our intuition :)

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