Reassurance, overwhelm and letting it settle

There's a particular kind of noise that deserves its own lesson, because it's so tied up with intuition: the need for reassurance.

The reassurance loop

You feel unsure. You ask someone. They reassure you. You feel better, for a bit. Then the doubt comes back. So you ask again. Or you ask someone else. Or you check another sign.

Reassurance feels like it helps, but it often keeps you stuck. Every time you outsource the feeling of "it's okay," you get a little less practised at finding it yourself.

I'm not saying never ask for support. Support is lovely. I'm saying notice when you're asking because you genuinely want another view, and when you're asking because you can't bear the uncertainty.

When it's all too much

Sometimes the noise isn't outside at all. It's that you're carrying so much, worry, grief, stress, responsibility, that there's no room left for anything else.

In those moments, trying to hear your intuition can feel impossible. And that's okay. It doesn't mean it's gone. It means you need to look after yourself first.

When you're overwhelmed, the most intuitive thing you can do might be very simple: rest. Eat something. Go outside. Talk to someone you trust. Make no big decisions today.

Letting it settle

Think of a glass of muddy water. If you keep stirring it, you'll never see through it. If you leave it alone, the mud sinks and the water clears.

A lot of decisions are like that. They don't need more thinking. They need less stirring.