Your Gut Feelings Can Actually Be Wrong (Here's When To Trust Them)
If you've ever felt torn between a gut feeling and your goals…If you've ever wondered why your intuition sometimes leads you in circles instead of forward…This is for you.
You’ve likely been told to “trust your gut.” And yes, your intuition is a gift. But here’s what most people don’t realize:
Your gut feeling isn’t always accurate.
In fact, it can be deeply distorted by your past.
Let’s break this down.
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The Neuroscience of Gut Feelings (And Why They Can Be Wrong)
You feel your “intuition” in your gut for a reason. There’s an entire nervous system in your belly called the enteric nervous system, that constantly sends signals to your brain. This is part of what we call the gut-brain axis, and it’s closely tied to your subconscious mind.
But here’s the catch:
Your subconscious doesn’t operate on logic. It operates on patterns—repeating what it knows, even if it’s not what you want.
Your “gut feeling” is often a predictive mechanism, not a spiritual compass. It pulls from stored memories, emotional imprints, and beliefs you may not even be aware of. If you’ve been conditioned by fear, scarcity, trauma, or self-doubt, your intuition won’t guide you forward. It’ll guide you back toward what's familiar, not what's aligned.
Let this land:
Your subconscious doesn’t give you what you want. It gives you what you expect. That’s why someone can be deeply into personal development, journaling every morning, reading all the right books… and still feel stuck.
Because if your internal filter (your Reticular Activating System) is wired to perceive lack, fear, or unworthiness, your “intuition” will simply confirm that story.
True Intuition vs. Fear Disguised as Wisdom
So how do you know the difference?
Fear feels like urgency, contraction, or avoidance. It screams.
Intuition feels quiet, expansive, and grounded even if it leads you somewhere uncertain. It whispers.
One keeps you in your comfort zone.
The other stretches you into your next chapter.
If your intuitive hits tend to sound like:
“Don’t do that, it’s risky.”
“She’ll think you’re too much.”
“What if this doesn’t work?”
...you’re probably hearing fear, not truth.
Here’s the reframe:
Your intuition is not broken. It’s just clouded by static.
The more clarity you create within your body and nervous system, the more accurately your intuition can guide you.
And that brings us to one of the most overlooked, yet essential skills for mental and emotional wellbeing…
Interoception: The Missing Link to Clear Intuition and Inner Peace
Interoception is your brain’s ability to sense what’s happening inside your body.
It’s how you notice your heartbeat, your breath, the tension in your shoulders, the sensation in your belly. It’s how your brain gets real-time updates about your internal state and uses that information to shape your emotional landscape.
Most people think the key to wellbeing is mindset. And while thoughts matter, they don’t originate in your head alone.
They begin in your body.
When your interoceptive awareness is strong, you’re able to:
Feel your feelings as they arise (instead of being blindsided by them)
Catch stress signals before they spiral into anxiety
Stay connected to your needs, values, and desires
Access intuition from a place of safety, not survival
But if your interoceptive system is weak or disconnected which is incredibly common in a hyperstimulated, head-based world, you’re likely to:
Ignore your needs until burnout hits
Struggle with anxiety, indecision, or emotional reactivity
Mistake past fear patterns for “gut instinct”
The good news?
Interoception is a skill you can build. And once you do, everything changes.
The Practice: Start Listening to Your Body Again
You don’t need hours of meditation or elaborate routines.
Here’s how to begin:
Several times a day, pause for just 30 seconds.
Notice three physical sensations without trying to change them.
It could be:
The feeling of your breath
The temperature on your skin
The weight of your body in the chair
The flutter in your chest or tension in your jaw
The point isn’t to fix or label anything.
It’s to practice noticing—building the neural pathway between your mind and body.
Over time, this simple habit strengthens your interoceptive awareness, which strengthens your ability to self-regulate, discern truth from fear, and reconnect with the wisdom within.
Because here's the truth:
Your body is always speaking to you. But you can’t interpret the message clearly if you’re not present to receive it.
Integration: From Gut Confusion to Embodied Clarity
Here’s the shift I invite you into:
You don’t have to throw out your intuition. You just have to recalibrate it.
When your nervous system is regulated…
When your body feels safe…
When your subconscious beliefs are upgraded…
...your intuition becomes your superpower again.
You stop mistaking fear for truth.
You stop confusing safety with stagnation.
You stop outsourcing your wisdom to the world.
And you come home to yourself.
Ready to go deeper?
Download my free masterclass Manifestation Rewired—you’ll learn how to reprogram your subconscious, reconnect with your body’s wisdom, and become the version of you who effortlessly manifests her most aligned life.
You are not too late.
You are right on time.
And the path forward begins with a single breath inward.