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People who have to perform at high levels in business, sports or any other medium say this: Intuition allows them to make better decisions.
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They choose the best option in a fraction of a second, without thinking too much, without letting an opportunity slip away.
Of course, preparation, training, knowledge and experience help make decisions better, but according to experts interviewed by CNN, intuition plays a role.
Intuition, or intuitive thinking, is rooted in neuroscience research and can be used by anyone.
According to Max Newlon, president of BrainCo, a Harvard innovation lab, the human brain has two distinct ways of thinking: analytical and intuitive.
These ways of thinking and conceiving are often referred to as the left brain and the right brain because these are different thought-generating areas.
“Depending on the task, different thinking systems work more efficiently. Intuitive right-brain thinking is characterized by thinking more about emotions, creativity and holistic,” Max Newlan told CNN.
He gives the example of someone who wants to buy a property.
“An intuitive person will confirm their decision to buy by liking the feel of the place and imagining living there and imagining the feeling when they go home with their family. Conversely, an analytical decision maker will look at the quality of schools, travel time and distance to work and He will focus on things like finance,” says the researcher.
The ability to make quick and intuitive decisions is also a matter of confidence, according to Dehra Harris, who researches and looks specifically at the performance of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.
Learning to listen to your “inner voice” is an ongoing process that requires two steps. First we must learn to listen to what we feel. Then engage in the act of constantly reflecting those feelings.
According to Ms. Harris, who was once an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, you should first start with a moment of silence and then notice the different “voices” in your head.
“You usually hear two voices. One is fear-based, associated with running and spinning thoughts, and the other is more calm and true to your nature,” explains the researcher.
“The best way to identify them is to notice how they make you feel. Your inner voice always calms you down, even in the face of big tasks, your fear-based voice is loud. [émotif].”
However, listening to your inner voices is not a flawless system. To get results, you need to do it every week on a regular basis.
“Revisiting intuitive decision-making may seem counter-intuitive, but if some decisions aren’t successful, a change in strategy is needed. Remember that intuition taps into a well of accumulated experience and knowledge,” says Harris.
“Intuition is the result of previous intellectual experience,” Albert Einstein once said.
If he agrees with Einstein, researcher Max Newlan goes further and believes that the refinement of intuition is a matter of millennia of human evolution and therefore ingrained in man.
Acting on your intuition can strengthen it even in the face of stress.
“Stress depletes the brain’s resources for decision-making,” says Dehra Harris.
Here are three exercises to improve and strengthen your intuition
1- Breathe in the present moment
Your breathing always happens in the present moment, your strong connection to the here and now, freeing you from thoughts of the past or future. Listening to your inner voice is easy.
2- Practice right brain meditation
Instead of trying to clear your mind during meditation, try focusing your attention on letting your imaginary right brain flow without the judgment of your analytical mind.
A good practice for this is to consider a question or choice and allow your meditative imagination to guide you through possible positive outcomes.
If it’s too difficult to make a decision without your analytical mind interfering, Harris recommends focusing on your favorite song and letting your imagination take you to whatever experience that song brings to you.
3- Be creative
Don’t be afraid to get creative. You don’t have to be an artist, writer, or psychic to play with tools that help you tap into your intuitive right brain.
You can try drawing, creative writing, divination etc.
“Engaging in any practice that helps you actively use your intuitive brain can be extremely valuable, and in some cases, even more so when you take the mystery out of them and look at them rationally,” says researcher Newlan.
