Intuition vs. Overthinking: How to Trust Your Gut
Have you ever felt that quiet nudge in your body, a subtle sense that something is right—or maybe off—and then your mind jumps in, spinning the situation into a full-blown “what if” scenario? This is the difference between intuition and overthinking, and understanding it can help you make decisions with clarity, not stress.
Intuition is calm. Overthinking is loud.
Intuition often shows up as subtle physical cues: a tightening in your chest, a flutter in your stomach, a sense of clarity before your brain can argue. It’s quiet, precise, and grounded. Overthinking, on the other hand, is the mind’s looping narrative—it argues, worries, and presents endless hypotheticals. While intuition points you toward insight, overthinking keeps you trapped in a mental hamster wheel.
Here’s a simple way to differentiate the two:
Pause and take a deep breath.
Ask yourself, “What is my body or inner self signaling first?”
Notice the first impulse, before the story begins. That’s usually intuition.
Identify the thoughts that follow—those are often overthinking. Label them and set them aside.
Think of it like tuning into a radio. Intuition is the soft, clear signal; overthinking is static. The louder the mental chatter, the harder it is to hear the message beneath it.
As a therapist, I often remind clients that intuition isn’t impulsive. It’s data your mind has collected unconsciously, patterns from past experiences, bodily awareness, subtle social cues. Recognizing it doesn’t mean acting without reflection. It means observing it, validating it, and using it to guide intentional, thoughtful decisions.
Practical steps for integrating intuition:
Notice physical cues: pay attention to subtle sensations or emotional reactions.
Pause before reacting: separate the impulse from the narrative your mind creates.
Journal your impressions: write down the gut feeling, then the story your mind adds. Compare later.
Trust small experiments: test your intuition with low-stakes decisions to reinforce confidence.
Overthinking thrives on doubt and uncertainty. Intuition thrives on clarity and alignment. One asks, “What if?” The other asks, “Does this feel right?” Learning to recognize the difference is a skill, and like any skill, it strengthens with practice.
Your intuition is a guiding tool, quietly pointing you toward what aligns with your values, your boundaries, and your authentic self. Overthinking is just noise. Learning to distinguish between the two can help you make decisions with confidence and clarity.
If you want guidance honing your inner intuition and minimizing mental chatter, working with me can help. Click here to schedule your complimentary consultation.
