Sometimes anxiety, ADHD sufferers (and anyone really) can mistake their anxiety or some other feeling for their intuition.

We’d like to share a strategy you can use to differentiate intuition from discomfort, and in the process make an informed decision.

Making the right decisions can have a positive impact on your life that can serve you in the moment but also into the future. They can also have a ripple effect in terms of the benefits they can provide.

Or, you can even watch the video version below

For example: Mistaking your resistance to a new idea or behaviour as your intuition telling you that something is a bad idea.

This misinterpretation could be explained as two Cognitive Distortions. The first one called Emotional Reasoning and the second, Fortune Telling

We have discussed these distortions in previous videos, but here is a reminder:

Emotional reasoning is defined as concluding things are certain way because of how we feel about them.

Fortune telling is predicting the future when in fact we are not certain about it. In other words, saying to yourself “I know something bad will happen.”

This pattern can lead one to avoid activities at the first feeling of discomfort.

So instead, what can you do?

1. Learn to notice when you are having these gut feelings.
2. Then ask yourself: is this really my intuition or is it just anxiety?

Believe it or not, by simply placing your attention on these feelings, you can sometimes determine whether something is tweaking your intuition or whether anxiety or another form of uncomfortable emotion is coming up.

1. If you are able to determine that it’s just anxiety, then the anxiety can sometimes just lift enough, so that you realize that there is no practical reason to avoid certain things.

If in the current moment, you don’t feel like committing one way or another, don’t. Wait until tomorrow and then tomorrow ask yourself “What exactly is stopping me?”

Next, complete a cost benefit analysis. To do so, simply write down the pros and cons of carrying out the activity.

Be honest when making your list, and be careful not to simply try harder with generating either the list of pros or cons based on what you are currently feeling you may wish the outcome to be.

Sometimes intuition can help you realize some of the pros and cons with carrying out the activity.

Often a cost benefit analysis can bring you the answer about what you want to do by helping you make a more informed decision.

Now, there are many other techniques and strategies that we discuss in our free newsletter which provides an overall approach to anxiety, panic attacks, and ADHD. To subscribe to our newsletter, simply provide your email added in the box or click here.