“It’s gotta be at least 5 a.m.,” I thought as I picked up my phone.

2:18 a.m. Ugh!

I was awake because of a pesky thought that kept popping into my head: ”I don’t think this wedding photographer is right for me.”

I’d been kneading this thought over and over in my head like a ball of dough.

Something was feeling off and I so much wanted it to be right. Don’t you hate that?

But for whatever reason, any time I grabbed my phone to book her, I stopped. I felt a physical tightening in my gut and in my body. So I kept putting it off.

Eventually, I fell back asleep, but my first thought when I awoke to my alarm was literally, “Look at other photographers.”

Okay, okay. Geez.

Your Intuition Knows Best

Over the past few years, I’ve gotten good at listening to the signals my body gives me. I know what it means when I feel a tightening in my body or when I have butterflies in my stomach.

It’s a skill I’ve honed, because I used to be pretty oblivious to what my body was telling me. I thought stomach aches just happened and headaches were just because.

I didn’t understand the importance of the mind-body connection. That is, until I experienced serious gut issues which were caused mainly by stress.

This experience caused me to become hyper-aware of the way my body feels. It’s allowed me to become in tune with my body which, in turn, strengthens my connection to my intuition.

As for the wedding photographer situation, I ended up listening to my gut instinct. I knew she wasn’t right for me, so I let it go. Later that day, I found another photographer in a way that can only be described as synchronicity.

Knowing how to listen to your intuition is a powerful tool.

Want to Strengthen Your Intuition? Here Are 6 Ways to Do It

1. Practice

Make a conscious effort to listen to your intuition every single day. Instead of rushing into decisions, pause for a moment. Take time to notice how something actually makes you feel. I call this a practice because it takes time to get in touch with the way you feel and what your body is telling you.

When something is a yes, it feels expansive. Expansiveness feels like a surge of energy. It’s lightness in your body. It’s those excited butterflies in your stomach.

When something is a no, it feels contracting. Contraction is the feeling of a pit in your stomach. It’s a tight chest and difficulty breathing. It makes you feel heavy and lethargic.

2. Meditate

The best way to get in touch with your inner self is through daily meditation. Sitting quietly and mindfully allows you to connect to your innate inner wisdom.

When you meditate, you clear the fogginess of distracting thoughts, anxieties, and fear. As the mind begins to clear, you’re able to actually feel what’s happening inside of you.

Through daily meditation, you learn to naturally connect to this deeper part of yourself in daily life.

3. Exercise

Not unlike meditation, exercise does a great job at clearing the clutter in your mind. It dissipates stress.

Stress and anxiety are distractions. They fog up the mind, fill us with fear, and don’t allow us to make the best decisions.

With regular exercise, you can clear some of that away, allowing you to connect more easily to your intuition.

4. Eat Healthy

Your intuition comes through so much clearer when you’re regularly eating healthy. You’re more energized and clear-headed because you aren’t bogged down with junk.

If you’re eating poorly, it’s hard to know if that pit in your stomach is a gut instinct or the cheesy burrito you had for breakfast.

5. Don’t Force It, Let It Go

Sometimes the right answer isn’t clear right away. Sometimes you can’t tell if something is a yes or a no because you’re feeling scared.

Am I afraid to do this because I know it’s the right thing? Am I afraid to do this because it’s the wrong thing?

In this instance, be patient. Don’t overthink it. Don’t try to force an answer. Just let it go for the time being.

I picture trying to force guidance from the Universe like trying to force a cat to sit on your lap. If you chase him around, grab him, and make him sit with you, he’s going to run away.

But if you sit back, relax, and don’t care, the cat usually sulks out and hops on your lap. Answers from the Universe happen the same way. They come when you’re not forcing but instead allowing.

6. Trust

Trust that you’re guided by a power that’s greater than you. This is a must.

When you’re open-minded, grateful, and fully believe you’re being guided; the answers come through. You’ll notice signs and synchronicities that push you in the right direction. In this trusting state, you’re like an open vessel, ready to receive the wisdom.

On the other hand, if you’re explaining everything away, constantly worrying, and doubting, you’re closed off. You aren’t in a state of mind to even notice the signs and synchronicities the Universe is sending you. In this purely cerebral state, you could be given a perfect sign but write it off as a “coincidence.”

What you choose to believe in is what will manifest in your life.

If you truly believe in miracles and signs, if you’re grateful for every one that you receive, you’ll receive more. You’ll get better at looking for them. You’ll become a pro at knowing how to listen.

To put it simply, what it comes down to is this: You know the truth by the way it feels.