What do you need more of right now? What do you need less of? Here we dive into a few techniques that can reconnect you with your intuition

Our intuition is kind of like our inner GPS. If you’ve ever felt your stomach sink after making a decision that turned out to be a bad one... you’ll know what I mean. Being in touch with our intuition isn’t just about making decisions though, it’s about knowing what you need.

Gaining clarity on this helps you take better care of yourself. You can understand what will serve you at this time and what won’t serve you. Right now, we’re going through some extraordinary times and when the world feels upside down, it’s easy to lose our sense of direction.

So now more than ever is a perfect time to reconnect with your intuition, get that GPS up and running and find your direction. Here are a few techniques that can help you do just that.

1. Free writing

Particularly powerful first thing in the morning or just before bed, free writing is all about writing whatever comes to your mind. The trick here is not to overthink it. Don’t try to write something ‘good’ or ‘poignant’, just write what comes into your mind. This might start as something very mundane like jobs you need to do around the house, but then it may morph into something deeper. Questions you’re asking yourself, possibly the answers too.

Free writing in the morning can be a great way to clear your mind before you start the day, while doing it before bed can help you unload and process your thoughts before sleeping. You don’t even have to keep hold of what you’ve written – many people choose to rip up and throw away their words. This can help you not get attached to what you’re writing and make it even ‘freer’.

2. Meditation

When we’re surrounded by noise, it can be hard to hear ourselves and, at the moment, things feel noisy. From news headlines and social media to the constant video chat requests, it’s understandable that some of us are craving quiet.

Meditation is a helpful way of getting quiet and tuning into ourselves again. Exercises like body scans help us tune into areas of tension in the body while many mindfulness meditations encourage us to become the observer of our thoughts and accept emotions without trying to change them.

The simple act of taking time to slow down, be still and focus on our breath can allow our needs to rise to the surface. Maybe it’ll reveal that you need more moments of quiet.

3. Tarot/oracle cards

More and more of us are turning to tools like tarot and oracle cards to prompt self-reflection. Rather than fortune telling, these cards and the various meanings behind them can encourage you to consider how the meaning relates to you in this moment.

For beginners, an easy way to dip your toe in the world of tarot is to buy a deck, or use an app, and pull one card every morning (I like the MysticMondays app). You can read about the meaning of the card and maybe write a few lines about how that relates to you right now. What questions does it prompt? Does it shine a light on something you’ve been neglecting?

To go deeper you can learn about the different spreads and use these to guide you when making decisions.

4. Journaling prompts

A little more structured than free writing, using journaling prompts can help you look into specific concerns/areas of your life. You may want to use a guided journal that already has prompts (we love the positive planner) or use a blank notebook and create your own prompts.

Need some inspiration to get started? Here are 10 questions to ask yourself to increase motivation and five journaling prompts to help you make a decision. You might also find this piece on using creative writing for self-care helpful too.

5. Street Wisdom

An idea conceived by David Pearl, Street Wisdom is about asking a question, going for a walk in your local area, tuning up your senses and finding answers in unexpected places. Described as a dynamic mix of psychology, creativity, mindfulness and cognitive science, Street Wisdom is based on the simple idea that wisdom is available all the time when we know how to look.

At the moment of course, this concept needs a little reimagining as we’re encouraged to stay indoors, so David has created a series called Street Wisdom Comes Home. Take a look at the video below for three exercises to get started and visit the Street Wisdom website to learn more.

If you’re feeling a little lost right now, I hope these tools can help you. Please know that you’re not alone and, if you’re looking for some guidance, you may find coaching helpful. Life Coach Directory has lots of coaches who work remotely and are ready to help you put some coordinates into your GPS system.