You know that gut feeling? It tells you to say no. To pull back. Or think about the situation for the tenth time. It feels big, loud, and full of feelings. We call it intuition. But what if it is not your deepest self? What if it is your anxiety? It just wants to keep you safe.
As a therapist in Mumbai, I see this all the time in my work. People come in and say, “I just knew it was wrong,” or “I have a feeling, but I do not know if I am making it too big.” And most of the time, it is anxiety that looks like a gut feeling.
Let’s get one thing clear: intuition is calm. Anxiety is not.
The more I work in individual therapy and anxiety management programs in Mumbai, the more I see how key it is to help people know one from the other. So how can you tell what is what? Here are 5 signs that what you call intuition might just be anxiety.
1. It Feels Big and Full of Fear
A real gut feeling is quiet and clear. It is like a soft word, not a loud horn. If your gut feel comes with fear, a hard chest, or fast thoughts, that is a bad sign.
Anxiety yells, “What if?” A gut feeling says in a comfortable way, “This does not feel right.”
If you feel a lot of fear when you have to pick what to do, you can talk to an individual therapist. Or get help from a licensed psychologist in India who can help you see this all out. Therapy can provide a safe space to explore the underlying causes of anxiety and distinguish them from genuine intuition. Through techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy, individuals can learn to recognize and challenge anxious thoughts, reducing their intensity and impact. Additionally, therapy can equip individuals with coping strategies to manage anxiety symptoms, promoting a clearer understanding of their true feelings.
2. You Thinking of the Past Hurts Again
Anxiety is tied to the past. It comes up when your mind sees a small thing that is like a thing that once gave you pain. This is true even if the thing now is not the same. As one who has worked with people with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, I see this a lot. The body holds on to the past. It tries to keep you safe, but sometimes it does not need to.
If your “intuition” feels like you have been here before, ask yourself:
“Is this actually dangerous—or does it just remind me of a time when I felt unsafe?”
If this comes up again and again, consulting a PTSD specialist in Mumbai or joining group therapy sessions in Mumbai could help you let go of that strong feeling.
3. You can’t stop thinking about it
A big part of anxiety is that you think about things too much. You go over and over the same thing in your mind. You try to “fix” it, but you do not feel good.
A gut feeling does not say too much. It comes, gives a note, and is at rest. If your mind goes round and round, if you think of the worst things, or if you look up things all the time—it is not your deep self that is talking. Anxiety management programs in Mumbai teach ways to calm this loop in your mind.
4. Your Nervous System Feels All Worked Up
True gut feelings may make you stop, but they do not make your heart beat fast. When your body feels it—a hard back, a tight jaw, a sick gut—your nervous system is likely in fight-or-flight mode.
This is a thing I teach in child counseling, teen therapy, and with grown-ups too: how good it is to hear what your body says.
You can ask: “Is my body trying to tell me about a real bad thing? Or is it from an old hurt?”
With time, things like slow breathing and feet on the ground can help you feel safe. I use this in depression therapy. This lets you hear your real inner voice.
5. You’re Always Looking for Others to Say It’s OK
If it was a real gut feel, you would feel a calm “yes.” You would not need to ask three friends, look for signs, or think your choice is bad again and again.
Anxiety loves doubt. It makes you look to others to say you are right in every move you make. As a family therapist in Mumbai, I see mums, dads, and all people getting stuck in this loop. It hurts relationship counselling in India, premarital counselling, and even couples counselling in Mumbai. The mind with anxiety does not just hurt you — it goes out into all you say and do.
To have faith in yourself, you must first learn to make the noise quiet.
Final Thoughts: To Know One from the Other
Let me be clear—this is not to say you do not hear your gut. It is about how to know which gut feelings are real and which come from anxiety. That takes self-awareness, time, and work.
It also helps to work with a pro, more so if your anxiety feels like it is there all the time or is too much. If you are not sure where to start, I offer:
- Online psychologist consultation in India
- Certified in cognitive behavioral therapy in Mumbai
- Top-rated OCD specialists in Mumbai (for too much thinking and thoughts you do not want)
You can also look at online depression and anxiety tests in India to get a first idea of what you feel.
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Ms. Tanu Choksi is a warm and friendly counselor and therapist in Mumbai, offering patient, non-judgmental, and rational solutions to personal problems.
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