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There’s a special voice that wants to be heard. Sometimes you even listen, given that it emerges from within. At various points in your life, one way or another, it makes itself known and communicates that which you might already know, and, more often than not, that which you may not yet realize. One thing is certain, when intuition speaks, we ought to listen.

Various psychosomatic processes that occur within us are strengthened by multiple forms of internal communication. Be it the ‘narrator’ in your head with verbal commentary, or a stream of abstract sensations like images or emotions—one way or another, elements of our being remain in constant interaction. And that manifests. Have you ever blushed seeing someone you liked? Or had stress bedew your forehead in beads of sweat? Nobody is exempt from the mind-body connection.

According to psychologist Elaine Fox, “The brain remembers everything, even from before birth. Something might have happened to you when you were three years old, which you’ve forgotten consciously, but your brain has stored that information. Now, you might walk into a room or a situation and get a feeling of apprehension. While you don’t quite understand why, your brain remembers that in this situation before, with this particular combination of sights, sounds, and feelings something bad happened. That’s what we call intuition. It’s there to guide us, to help us understand the situation we’re in”.

We like to romanticize intuition as the beat in our heart, mysticize it as the sixth sense. We like to call it the ‘gut feeling’ as the emotional signal arises from some deeper part of us. But while it’s all of the above, intuition is also pattern recognition of the unconscious mind sifting through past experiences and accumulated knowledge. Intuition involves logical analysis in which 2+2=valuable information for decision-making. It is teamwork of the mind, the heart, and the gut.

This inner voice is your best friend who is incapable of half-truths. It will never fool you or lead you astray. It’s this combination of love and reason that builds a communication channel between you and yourself that is both intimate and effective. A pit in your stomach or the hairs on the back of your neck standing up before a frightening experience—your instincts work to protect you. We talk to ourselves in more ways than we realize. The only question is whether you are willing to listen to yourself.

Sometimes a lion’s roar, sometimes barely a whisperhow has your intuition been voicing its wisdom lately? Has it been softly glowing like a firefly or blazing like sunlight? "The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead, there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark", wrote Virginia Woolf in one of her novels.

In her podcast Not Alone, model turned top content creator and influencer Valeria Lipovetsky exhibits a similar openness to the lack of solid answers. Around her 30th birthday, she started contemplating the true meaning of life only to conclude that she did not want to know (yet). The journey of self-discovery was so rewarding in itself that Valeria simply embraced the unknown. Because that is what her intuition advised.

Still, no answer is an answer nonetheless. In this case, it’s the freedom of exploration. Perhaps being the Magellan of your life is what your intuition is urging you towards? Either way, these ponderings bring us to the nitty-gritty of this article, which is: what can we do to turn up the volume of our intuition? How do we tune into it for guidance? Are there any get-smart-quick schemes we could use to our benefit? Here are some of our ideas:

1. Stillness

An obvious starting point. Only in quietude does your inner knowing have the perfect conditions to communicate. Spend some alone time in silence. Create a moment of peace to slow down the daily grind and listen. Intuition might be a soft murmur. Only when you can hear its whisper will you be able to learn the whole story.

2. Minimalism

The sixth sense needs space and physical space is tightly connected with the mental one. It’s a different spin on the mind-body connection, if you will. Declutter, get rid of any distractors that obstruct the view. Has anything emerged on the horizon?

3. Imagination

Intuition thrives in freedom. In stillness, eliminate any restrictions you can think of and let go, drift away, soar wherever your mind takes you. If you need guidance, imagine your inner voice on a stage of an empty theatre, only you in the audience. Is it speaking to a microphone? Does it look like a small, hairy fairy-tale creature? Maybe it’s singing or dancing?

4. Journaling

Whatever you’re picturing, now write all about it. Freewriting is the perfect way to talk to yourself, get closer to your identity and fortify it. And if you’re unsure of what to write, write exactly thatthat you are unsure. And maybe this is stupid and you don’t see the point. Write that. Before you know it, the ball will be rolling, and in your own words, your inner voice will start talking.

5. List-making

If journal entries are still not your forte, make a list of all the instances when could feel your intuition guiding you in the past. Did you listen then? What were the results? Make a separate list for those and then compare the two compilations. Intuition is analysis.

6. Detailed records

Documenting your life will reinforce your knowledge of who you are, enhance the memory of what you’ve been through, and help you embrace your story so far. Knowing yourself is the love language of intuition, ergo, a chronicle of your life is a love letter to your inner voice.

7. Affirmations

Experiment with positive statements in a slightly different way than usual. Pick a few examples and see how they sit within you. No need to focus on manifesting anything at this point, simply use Intelligent Change cards for guidance. Which affirmations resonate with you most? What do you think they say about you or the situation you’re in? Do they hint at anything about your future?

8. Change in perspective

Do something unexpected to break the routine and snap out of the ordinary. If your intuition has been dormant for a while, it might need a different kind of attention to activate. Do something that is in contrast to what you would normally do. Take a different route home from work, cut your hair shorter (it will grow back anyway), order a latte instead of your usual Americano. Look at life from a different angle. How does it feel?

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Following intuition is a quest for the brave. It might involve conquering fear and self-doubt, embracing the unknown and the freefall of it all. It’s a trust exercise with your deeper knowing. Yet, putting faith in your intuition is putting faith in yourself. Trusting your inner voice is trusting yourself. Your gut feeling is your glimmer in the darkness. Even when it’s a firefly, your intuition is your lighthouse.

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