Gut Check: Is It Fear or Intuition?

Many people still talk about intuition like it’s some supernatural, “woo woo” thing, but when we talk about a gut instinct, we’re actually referring to something real.

Intuition is the body’s ability to synthesise information quickly and non-verbally. It’s often drawing from things you don’t even consciously realise you’ve noticed: a micro-expression, or a shift in tone. This communication is between our gut and our brain, particularly the right side of the brain, which is the part responsible for pattern recognition, emotional memory, and creativity.

In contrast, fear is also in the body, but it sounds different.

Fear is sharp, loud, and immediate. It can freeze us or flood over us. It wants to keep us safe, which often means keeping us small. While our intuition usually says, “Something’s off,” fear says, “Something bad will happen.” It predicts doom.

So how do you tell the difference?

Let’s break it down:

	Intuition	Fear
Tone	Calm, grounded, quiet knowing	Loud, anxious, urgent
Body Sensation	Expansive gut pull, quiet tension, a full-body “yes” or “no”	Tight chest, racing heart, spiraling thoughts
Emotion	Clarity, certainty, stillness	Panic, worry, overwhelm
Focus	Future-oriented but clear	Future-oriented and catastrophic
Outcome	Moves you toward truth	Keeps you stuck in safety

One of the most helpful questions I use with clients is this:

“If fear wasn’t part of the equation, what would you want?”

Because most of the time, fear is the thing standing between you and what you’re longing for.

We confuse fear for wisdom when really, it’s just the part of us trying to avoid vulnerability. But the part of you that’s longing, that wants more, deeper, different, that’s where your real knowing lives.

Longing is the language of intuition.

So the next time you’re stuck, ask:

Is this a no from my intuition… or a not yet from my fear?

And if it’s fear? Always follow the longing.