Anxiety or Intuition? Learning to Tell the Difference

Matthew Hallam
May 13
4 min read

Sometimes, we feel something strongly in our body - like a twist in the stomach or a sudden rush of worry - and we wonder: Is this anxiety, or is it intuition? Both can feel similar, but they come from different places in the brain. Learning to tell them apart helps us make clearer decisions and respond in ways that support our wellbeing.

How Do Anxiety and Intuition Feel in the Body?

Anxiety and intuition are both felt physically. We might notice:

A tight chest
Butterflies in the stomach
A sense of urgency
Racing thoughts
A strong gut feeling

These reactions happen because the body is picking up on signals before we fully understand what’s going on. This process is called interoception - the brain’s ability to sense what’s happening inside the body (Craig, 2002). When we improve interoception, we can better understand whether our body is reacting to fear or giving us useful information.

Why Do Anxiety and Intuition Feel So Similar?

Both anxiety and intuition are fast and automatic. They can show up before we have time to think. That’s why it’s so easy to confuse them.

But anxiety usually brings:

Urgency to act or escape
Worry about what might happen
Repetitive thoughts about danger
Fear of getting it wrong

In contrast, intuition often feels:

Calm and clear
Quiet but certain
Focused on what feels right, not what could go wrong

Anxiety is often based in fear and future thinking. Intuition is more grounded in the present (Damasio, 1994).

How Do We Tell the Difference?

It takes practice to know whether we’re feeling anxiety or intuition. Here are some clues:

If it’s anxiety…	If it’s intuition…
Feels fast, panicky, or pressuring	Feels calm, steady, or nudging
Filled with “what if” thinking	Feels like a quiet knowing
Based on fear or past experiences	Grounded in the present moment
Makes you doubt yourself	Often feels clear even if surprising

Learning to pause and check in with your body helps build this awareness. When you stop and ask, What am I actually feeling right now?, you create space for clarity.

What Role Does Self-Awareness Play?

Building awareness helps you hear the difference between fear and inner wisdom. This means:

Slowing down when strong feelings arise
Noticing where the feeling shows up in your body
Asking: Is this a warning, or worry?
Waiting a moment before acting

Psychologists call this somatic awareness - paying attention to your body to guide decisions (Price & Hooven, 2018). The more you practise, the better your brain becomes at sorting helpful signals from protective alarms.

How Can We Build Trust in Ourselves?

You don’t need to get it perfect. Even if you act from anxiety sometimes, you can learn from the experience.

Here are some tips:

Practise journaling or reflecting on past moments: Was that anxiety or intuition? What happened next?
Notice patterns in your body over time
Use grounding techniques to calm the nervous system before deciding
Talk it through with someone you trust or a therapist
Respect the message, but explore the response. Even fear can hold insight.

Over time, you’ll build a stronger connection with your internal signals - and greater confidence in how you respond to them.

Key Takeaways

Anxiety and intuition can feel similar, but they serve different roles
Anxiety often comes with urgency, fear, or self-doubt
Intuition usually feels calm, clear, or quietly confident
Self-awareness and body connection help us tell the difference
With practice, we can trust our signals without letting fear run the show

Conclusion

When safety feels stuck, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed - it means your brain is doing its best to protect you. The good news is: your brain can learn new ways to feel safe. With awareness, support, and small changes, you can move forward without leaving safety behind.

References

Craig, A. D. (2002). How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3(8), 655–666. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn894

Damasio, A. R. (1994). Descartes’ error: Emotion, reason, and the human brain. Putnam.

Price, C. J., & Hooven, C. (2018). Interoceptive awareness skills for emotion regulation: Theory and approach of Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy (MABT). Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 798. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00798

Simmons, W. K., Avery, J. A., Barcalow, J. C., Bodurka, J., Drevets, W. C., & Bellgowan, P. S. (2013). Keeping the body in mind: Insula functional organization and functional connectivity integrate interoceptive, exteroceptive, and emotional awareness. Human Brain Mapping, 34(11), 2944–2958. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22113

Werner, N. S., Jung, K., Duschek, S., & Schandry, R. (2009). Enhanced cardiac perception is associated with benefits in decision-making. Psychophysiology, 46(6), 1123–1129. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00855.x

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical advice. The content is intended to support general wellbeing and personal growth, but it may not address specific individual needs. If you have mental health concerns or require personalised support, please consult a qualified healthcare provider. Equal Psychology, Equal Breathwork, Reflective Pathways and its authors are not liable for any actions taken based on this information.