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Your inner voice, also known as the sixth sense, inner compass, or higher self, can be your best coach. It may offer you clarity, point out a path to happiness, and assist you in making better life decisions.
If you ever get a tingling sensation, feel a pit in your stomach, or hear a whisper from deep down, stop and listen. This could be your inner voice gently stirring you, asking you to pay attention.
When Steve Jobs addressed students at California’s Stanford University 2005 graduation, he shared incredible life wisdom. Jobs said, “Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
So when wise people say go with your gut, or follow your intuition, listen. People can access inner speech to motivate themselves as well as gain confidence, according to Psychology Today. Psychotherapists often tap into the inner voice as an aid, using it to help people overcome fear of failure and self-doubt.
Your inner voice is such a powerful tool, it can assist you in finding joy and put you on the path to living a more fulfilled life. In a time when technology dominates and logic reigns, it is easy to lose touch with the inner voice. But it is there, even if it whispers softly. Here are seven ways to tap into your inner voice:
Create space
In order to hear the inner voice, it needs the space to come in. The modern world is fast paced and pulls at people all day long, leaving precious little space for intuition or the inner voice. Life coach Gwen Dittmar told Well+Good that people lose trust in their own intuition because it has been crowded out. She suggests walking in nature, meditating, or having quiet time, even if it is with warm suds while washing dishes. First and foremost, put down your phone and disconnect from your computer.
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Care for your health
When you are at your optimal health, you are also giving space for that inner voice to thrive. As suggested by MindBodyGreen, exercise, eat well, and address emotional aches. When you care for yourself, and feel well physically and mentally, you are creating balance. This leaves a clear, unimpeded space for that inner voice to thrive.
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Get into a state of flow
You can also invite the inner voice through painting, walking in nature, or doing any activity that puts you in a state of flow; you will know you are “there” if you lose track of time! Such activities are freeing, inviting that inner compass to guide you.
Take time to write in a journal daily. Simply fill the pages with your stream of consciousness, MindBodyGreen recommends. Pour out your feelings, hopes, and disappointments, or whatever is filling your mind. After you are emptied of these cluttering thoughts, that inner voice is there, often offering insight and direction.
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Pay attention
Be aware of your dreams and write them down whenever you remember something significant. If something happens that gives you goosebumps, pause and reflect. If you have one of those “aha” moments, be aware. Once again, as suggested by MindBodyGreen, write these moments down in a journal. This is your inner voice nudging you, asking for you to listen.
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Pause and breathe
Doing breathing exercises, just like meditating, can assist in connecting with the inner voice. Dittmar told Well+Good about a powerful breathing exercise that can be done anywhere for just a few minutes a day. Breathe in through the nose while counting to four, hold the breath for a count to seven, then exhale through the mouth while counting to eight. She explains that breathing out of the mouth connects to the heart and lower chakras, away from the busy mind.
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Put it in the slow cooker
When facing decisions, life wisdom often says to “sleep on it.” Instead of acting quickly, place your issue in the slow cooker and go to sleep, as recommended by life coach Tracy Kennedy on Lifehack. Kennedy says it is often helpful to let the unconscious do the work and help solve the problem. When you take a shower the next morning, you may have renewed clarity, thanks to your wise inner voice.
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Flip a coin
Flipping a coin is an interesting trick as it automatically elicits an instinctive response. If the coin lands on one side and we do not like the results, we will feel it right away. Kennedy says that despite how the coin lands, one often will often want to take the opposite course of action. Thanks to awakening your inner voice, you may know right away!
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