9 Tips on How to Develop Your Intuition

Even the most casual internet search reveals a startling fact: many people are interested in the topic of developing their intuition! If you’re reading this you too are probably wondering how to develop your intuition. But what is intuition, exactly and how does one go about tapping into it and strengthening it? 

The answer often depends on who you ask.

Psychologists see intuition as a pathway to gaining insights into the past, present and future. 

For entrepreneurs, developing intuition is a tool to forge stronger knowledge in business partnerships and tapping into customer desires.

Physicians might use intuition to see beyond sets of symptoms to the underlying cause.

And one popular best-selling teacher and author refers to intuition as “our vibes,” saying that when we tune in, our intuition is always right there waiting to help us sense and seek our highest good.

But if everyone has intuition and it has so many potential uses, how can you go about developing your own intuitive sense?

Want to get on the intuitive fast track? These nine tips will show you how to develop your intuition.

1. Take exceptional care of yourself.

It can be awfully challenging to listen to your gut, your intuition, your vibes, your sixth sense, whatever you want to call it, when you are tired, hungry, angry, stressed, ill, over-scheduled or unhealthy.

So the first step you take towards accessing your own intuition must be to begin taking the best possible care of yourself, body, mind, heart and spirit. 

2. Simplify your life and reduce distractions.

One of the biggest areas of confusion for anyone interested in intuition is where that line in the sand is drawn between cognition (mental thought) and intuition (inner sensing or knowing without knowing how you know).

That line may be more fluid than we suspect, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). 

The truth is, we need both our mind and our emotions to intuit anything. We also need to develop a relationship with our own intuition, and this can only happen over time as we use this trait and experience cumulative positive results.

3. Meditate.

Because cognition or mental thought is just one aspect of developing your intuition, it is vital to devote regular time to delving deeper behind the thought-generating machine that is the human brain.

Harvard University researchers cite a particular type of meditation called mindfulness as a helpful tool to boost intuition, creativity and overall systemic health. You will be surprised at how your intuition heightens after you start meditating regularly.

4. Listen.

You may want to start thinking of intuition like a short, quiet little messenger that is really introverted but will stir itself to deliver helpful tips when they arise. Remember your intuition won’t necessarily use a megaphone – it often whispers or simply “nudges” and you will need to listen (and feel) closely to hear it. 

5. Observe and notice.

The signs from our intuition often go unnoticed. It is critical to be aware. Begin to take notice of your thoughts, feelings and also the signs that may appear around you and in your life. Become attuned to observing and you will find that your intuition becomes heightened.

It’s been there all along. Now you just notice it!

6. Journal.

Journaling has many positive benefits, but one of its most potent comes in the form of keeping an intuition journal. Here, you can think of your journal (or app or e-notebook) as a record of how your relationship with your own intuition is progressing.

Did you just get a message from your inner intuitive (see #4 here)? Write it down. See what happens. Was the message accurate? This will give you more encouragement to trust that your efforts in developing your intuition are paying off.

Your intuition journal can also be valuable for course correction, when perhaps you get an intuitive message but it doesn’t pan out the way you expected. What went wrong? 

Did you perhaps misinterpret the message? Did your brain or the critic on your shoulder interfere with transmission? Journaling about these questions can also strengthen your ability to tell the difference between intuition, cognition, self-criticism and other types of “fake intuition.”

A few journaling prompts to help you get started:

• What is my intuition trying to tell me right now?
• What is my intuition trying to teach me?
• What do I need to know right now?
• What signs are being shown to me right now?
• What do I need to release right now to create more space in my being?

Then simply write whatever comes to you.

You may also be interested in: 12 Signs You May Actually Be Psychic

7. Show gratitude for your intuition.

When someone does you a favor – even if it is yourself – it is always nice to say thanks! The same goes for your intuition. When synchronicities, downloads and intuitive messages come to you, show your gratitude for them. When you express your gratitude, more is likely to come your way and your intuition heightens.

8. Learn to trust yourself.

When you notice the signs and messages from your intuition, trust it. Work on trusting your feelings and listening to yourself above others. The more you trust yourself, the more your intution will heighten.

9. Just ask for it.

Whether you have any interest in matters of the spirit or not, when you work to developing your intuition ultimately you are working to develop your connection with your own self. 

Just like with building intimacy and trust in any other relationship, often the best way to forge a closer bond with your intution is to ask the questions you have and then listen for the answers.

Asking activates your intuition at a deeper level so you can perceive roadblocks, discover what you need to chart your course forward and then find a way to meet that need and continue making progress.

Here, intuition isn’t just one of many scored traits on the popular Myers-Briggs personality test. In other words, it is something that everyone has but not everyone is attuned to it. Everyone does, however, have the ability to become more intuitive.

We are all intuitive and we can all strengthen and develop our intuition with practice.