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Writer's pictureErica Detlefs

how to tell the difference between anxiety and intuition


I seem to always be asking myself “is this my intuition, or is this my fear and anxiety?” We as humans have had things happen in our past, affecting each of us in a different way. Perhaps a bad relationship has made us want to run from all the others, or our determination to be a certain way blinds us from other opportunities.


This past expierences can cause little feelings to bubble up inside us when decision time comes. Whether it’s a tightness in your chest or a tap of your foot, we may feel something inside and call it our intuition – when in reality it is anxiety trying to hold us back. So how the heck do we tell the difference?


Enter this exercise: the hell yes or the hell no.


It’s quite simple. Get into a calm state, one where you don’t have to be making any actual decisions. Maybe right before you go to bed, right when you wake up, or after you had a nice and filling lunch and aren’t rushed to get back to work.

First, think of something that was a definite hell yes in your life. Whatever it was. Maybe it was choosing that sandwich for lunch today. Perhaps it was deciding to move that one time, or choosing that school ( or not to go to school). Pick a day, a feeling, a time, where you know it was a good choice, one of the best choices. Pick something where you know your intuition was leading you the right direction.

And see where you feel it in your body. Try and breath and feel really closely, because sometimes it’s subtle. Are you feeling something in your hands, your chest, or another part of your body? Are you having certain thoughts come to mind? Hearing a ringing in your ears? Take note of any and all sensations.

Now do the same thing with something that was a hell no – something you knew you didn’t want. Something you knew wasn’t for you. Maybe it’s the thought of eating dairy when you’re lactose intolerant, or maybe it’s thinking about being around that particular person, or thinking of something that scares you.

Pay attention to where the sensations are in your body now. Honestly, sometimes the change and the shift is subtle. But there are differences.

And lastly, think of something that makes / made you anxious like no other. Something that scared you. See where the sensations are in your body now.


For me my hell yesses, my intuition, is felt in my upper chest. It feels light, airy, and expansive. But my hell no’s, sits practically in the same spot…just an inch or two lower. But it feels tighter. And my anxiety sits in my throat and my lungs, and feels suffocating.

These subtle differences help me figure out if my intuition is telling me something is a hell yes, a hell no, or if my body is just feeling anxious about a situation.


Sometimes though, we can’t figure it out. We’re too in the moment, it’s too big of a choice, etc. That’s when I like to turn to a professional reader to get some tips and an outside perspective. You can check out our services here at Cosmic Corner.

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