Am I Experiencing Relationship Anxiety or Gut Feelings?
If you’re a highly intuitive or empathic person, it’s tricky to turn that switch off, which results in a near-constant barrage of psychic information on any given day. Being that plugged into the universe isn’t necessarily easy.
One of the places it can affect us the most is in how we view our interpersonal relationships and romantic entanglements. It’s inevitable that you’ll pick up on certain vibes from your partner at some point. But for intuitives, it can be hard to tell if you’re experiencing run-of-the-mill relationship anxiety or some deeper messaging from your instincts. Both are valid, but confusing one for the other may lead you to make some unfortunate decisions—especially if you’ve met a true soul mate!
But with such powerful energy swirling around you, how can you tell whether you’re experiencing relationship anxiety or gut feelings? Even if you’re head-over-heels in love or about to run out the door, there are some dead giveaways for whether you’re dealing with inhibition or intuition.
How to Spot Intuition in Action
Our intuition comes from a deep place of ancient wisdom in the human soul. It’s unlike anything we could ever hope to explain or replicate in this world, yet it’s with us all our lives as we navigate the good and the bad. That’s why intuition plays such a big role in relationships.
We often make decisions unconsciously that are led by this inner voice even if we don’t fully understand its role. It’s easiest to see during moments when we’re forced to choose between two paths or commit to a five-year plan with our partner. These are opportunities for our intuition to step in and take the wheel with a clear conviction or helpful nudge in the right direction.
Experiencing Relationship Anxiety
Anxiety, on the other hand, is background noise, not background guidance. If you’re ruminating on whether or not this person is a good fit or losing sleep over whether to commit to a big change, you’ll quickly realize that these feelings aren’t providing answers.
We’re chemically hard-wired to experience stress and insecurity when the stakes are high, especially when we’re picking a partner. Some people are lucky enough to meet the perfect person and never have a single doubt—and good for them! However, even the most intuitive person in the world may take some time for their feelings to evolve.
Distinguishing Between the Two
Jitters at the beginning of a blossoming romance are completely normal and they can pop up unexpectedly at nearly any stage. Every relationship has its crests and troughs, and your intuition can serve as a barometer regardless of whether you’re on the way up or down.
Unfortunately, anxiety likes to dress itself up as intuition, and they often coexist—especially during stressful times. When you’re not sure which is which, take a moment and examine what you’re experiencing through the following lenses.
Take an Emotional Inventory
Because regular anxiety can look so much like genuine intuition, we must stop and listen to our emotions. This is where anxiety festers while intuition is just a passerby, stemming from a much more secure and safe space within the soul.
Start by determining what emotions you’re carrying. Is there an insistent pattern to them? Are they fueled by “What if?” scenarios? Does the sensation equate to alarm bells or even trigger a panic attack? If you answered “Yes” to all three of those questions, you’re most likely going through relationship anxiety.
Your intuition won’t manifest itself so harshly. Instead, it’s a gentle if not sudden realization, not something that eats at you constantly. It exists in a realm beyond knowing, so we aren’t plagued by hypotheticals. There’s a calm about intuition that’s almost like a tap on the shoulder or a whisper in your ear.
Reflect on What You Discover
Thinking it through does wonders for our peace, as intuition is associated with the ultimate enlightenment we all strive for in this life. Harnessing our intuition requires staying patient and mindful about our holistic experience to uncover the path we’re meant to be on.
Comparing and contrasting your emotions with their origins will shed light on why you’re feeling either relationship anxiety or gut feelings from a deeper source. In fact, the first messages you’re receiving could be divine intuition telling you to slow down and take stock of yourself! If you keep yourself open to your intuitive nature, even when you’re at your most anxious, slowly but surely it will help set you on the right path.
Find Balance and Clarity
Finally, take to heart what your body and mind are trying to say collectively rather than trying to privilege one experience over another. Just because you’re having relationship anxiety doesn’t mean it’s not justified. If your relationship is in dangerous waters, your intuition will probably be urging you to get out while your anxiety is screaming “Run!”
At the end of the day, you’ll have to take into account what’s causing you to question your relationship and why it’s calling your various senses to respond as they are.
Physical Reaction, Intuitive Response
Though they share some surface-level similarities, remember that anxiety is human while intuition is universal. Relationship anxiety is in the body: it’s an explainable, visual, and common experience.
However, the gut feelings from your intuition are some of the most powerful tools we possess. The more we refine them the clearer their messaging will be. With clear intentions and plenty of practice, you’ll be able to unlock your full potential and harness the spectrum of intuition bestowed upon you from birth.
Whether it’s relationship anxiety or gut feelings, it’s ultimately up to you to write your destiny. Intuition is just the pen. You’ve got this, with the help of your own internal compass—and I’ve got you, with lots of free resources for growth! Wishing you lots of love and light.
