Everyone naturally has an intuition, whether they choose to listen to it or not. Your intuition is your gut feeling, that natural instinct or hunch that you should make a choice or not, that you should go down a different road, or that a certain choice in your life needs a little more attention and care.

Spiritually, intuition can be very powerful, especially when you learn to strengthen it. It can help guide you in the right direction, offer assistance when choosing something like a crystal to charge or a method of manifesting, and so much more.

Here are some helpful ways to start developing and strengthening your intuition.

Meditate and Be Mindful of Your Senses

It is very possible that you are naturally an intuitive person, but you don’t realize it. This often happens not just because of a lack of trust in yourself, but by not being mindful. You may not pay attention to your own thoughts or energies because you live such a busy life. Maybe you live in a city with a lot of noise and pollution, or you have a hectic and high-stress job.

Whatever is clouding your intuition needs to be quieted down, which can be done with meditation and being more mindful. Your mind needs to be still and quiet in order to really listen to the instincts and gut feelings you get. Start paying more attention to what is around you in those moments of silence and trust more in yourself.

Pay Attention to When Your Intuition Serves You

There are likely times in your life when you followed your gut and didn’t realize it was your intuition speaking to you. Now is a good time to start paying attention to these moments and keeping a record of them. Every time you make a decision that turns out surprisingly in your favor, write it down in a journal. You can then look back on what was going on at the time and the signs you were given.

For example, maybe one day you decide to take a different route to work. There was no reason for you to want to change which way you drive since you always go the same way. You just had something calling to you to turn down a different street. Later that day, you might find that at the time you were on that original route, there was a really bad car accident. There is no telling what could have happened if you had ignored your intuition and just done what you always did. This is your intuition speaking to you!

Learn the Difference Between Intuition and Fear

Something important to keep in mind is that sometimes it is your fears or anxieties speaking to you, not your intuition. This is what trips a lot of people up because you don’t know what to trust. Here are some things to consider when deciding which voice is actually talking to you:

Intuition feels positive and light, while fear feels negative and dark.

If your instincts are controlled more by quick action and strong emotions, it is probably from fear. But if it comes from a place of going with your gut, it is probably your intuition.

If the thought of a decision makes you feel calm and relaxed, it is your intuition. If it brings on severe anxiety or worry, it is probably from fear.

If you get lost in a circle of thoughts about it, it is your fear. If it feels comfortable and natural, it is your intuition.

Let Go of Resistance

One of the hardest parts of developing and growing your intuition is avoiding resistance. We tend to overthink as humans, think of all possible scenarios, and constantly doubt our own minds. If your intuition is telling you one thing, your mind is telling you another. The best thing you can do is start releasing the resistance. Follow your gut and let go of those nagging fears and what-ifs.