Your intuition is real; see how to strengthen it

Many top performers in sports, business, and the arts swear that intuition works. It allows them to make decisions, often in a
millisecond, without thinking too much and without missing opportunities.

Think of baseball players. With the fastball pitch in the major league exceeding 145 km/h on average, a hitter has no more than 150 milliseconds, which is literally the blink of an eye, to decide the next move. Furthermore, the ball is effectively invisible to the batter during the last 10 meters of the course and in the target zone it appears for just 10 milliseconds.

Never forget that this task also has to be done with exact amount of power and precision. However, New York Yankees pitcher Aaron Judge recently broke the American League record with 62 home runs (when the ball is hit and the batter is able to run all bases) in a single season.

Sure, there’s preparation and skill involved, but Aaron Judge could hardly defy physics in this complex, lightning-fast set of steps without using the
intuition.

For athletes like Judge, knowing when and how to do the right moves seems to come naturally, and in a way, science confirms that’s exactly how it is.

But science also shows that intuition is not simply a special sense present in people like record-breaking athletes, according to a
2016 study. Intuition is something we all have and that can empower us in everyday decision-making.

Roots in neuroscience

According to Max Newlon, president of BrainCo, a company that develops products based on brain-machine interface technology, the human brain has two distinct modes of thinking: analytical and intuitive.

These two modes are often called left-brain thinking and right-brain thinking, respectively, because that’s where the different styles of thinking take place, according to research.

“Depending on the task, the different systems of thinking work more effectively. The intuitive, on the right side of the brain, is characterized by being more oriented towards sensation, creativity and is more comprehensive”, explained Newlon.

He shared the example of someone who decides to buy a house: “A person who acts intuitively will support his decision with statements about liking the house.
feeling of space, imagining what it’s like to live there and imagining that your extended family will feel right at home when they come to visit. On the other hand, an analytical decision maker will focus on things like the quality of schools, travel time and distance to work and the financial business as a whole.”

But what about those business decisions CEOs have to make on the fly or the second-decision moves of professional athletes?
“The ability to make quick, intuitive decisions is based on building and cultivating self-confidence,” explained Dr. Dehra Harris, assistant director of research at
performance applied to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Developing your inner voice, Harris noted, is an ongoing process that requires two steps:

1. learn to listen;
2. engage in a regular process of reflection.

Start with a moment of silence and notice the different voices in your head, advised Harris, who is a former assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis.

“Usually, you will hear two voices. One is fear-based, associated with speed, looping thoughts, while the other is calmer and truer to your nature. The best way to identify them is by noticing how they make you feel,” she explained.

Your inner voice will always calm you down, even in the face of big tasks, while your fear-based voice will make you increasingly overwhelmed.”

Second, the expert reminds you that listening to your inner voice is not a flawless system. She suggests a weekly reflection on the results.

“It may seem counterintuitive to revisit intuitive decision making, but if some of the results are not successful, there needs to be a change in strategy. Remember that intuition comes from a well of accumulated experience and knowledge”, he highlighted.

Albert Einstein once observed that “intuition is nothing but the result of previous intellectual experience”. BrainCo’s Newlon agrees, but goes further, suggesting that intuition is not just the result of pattern recognition from the accumulation of your experiences, but potentially “from millennia of evolution.”

Practice brings progress

Actively working on your intuition and having a daily practice of trusting will strengthen it, even in the face of stress. “Stress diminishes the brain’s resources for decision-making, as it helps you pursue a skill that you’ve already actively applied and with which you can achieve a safer outcome,” said Harris.

To think about the ability to strengthen intuitive decision making with practice, let’s go back to baseball player Aaron Judge. Not only did he win the home run record, he also stole 16 bases in the same season, breaking his personal best. In fact, by August 9, he had hit the 100% accuracy mark with 13 hits out of 13 on base steal attempts, which is another unlikely feat.

Did Judge’s success in both home runs and steals increase simultaneously by chance? Or was that in part due to regular practice and confidence in your ability to make intuitive, millisecond-accurate decisions?

As your analytical mind ponders this, consider that there is little physical correlation between hitting (on the home run) and stealing a base.

To see if regular practice can improve the strength and accuracy of your intuitive “beats”, try these three exercises:

breathe with presence

As a body and mind coach for professional sports, I have had the privilege of working with Judge on his breathing and helping him integrate breathing practice into his training regimen. Because your breath is always happening in the present moment, it is your strongest connection to the here and now, freeing you from thoughts of the past or the future.

In a state of presence, it is easier to hear your inner voice. Try the 5-7-3 breathing practice (five seconds of breathing in, seven holding the air and three breathing out) to quiet your own mind and thus try to better listen to your intuition.

Practice right-brain meditations

Rather than trying to keep your mind blank during meditation, try to focus your attention on allowing your right, imaginative brain to flow without the judgment of your analytical mind. A good exercise for this is to think about a question or choice and let your meditative imagination lead you through a possible positive outcome.

If making a decision is too difficult without your analytical mind getting in the way, Harris suggests focusing on a beloved song and letting your imagination take you through all the experiences the song evokes for you.

Play with creative tools

Don’t be afraid to be creative in your attempts to be more creative. You don’t need to be an artist, writer or diviner to play with tools that let you tap into your intuitive right brain. You can draw freely, use storytelling cards to encourage creative writing, or use positive affirmation cards with a clear intention.

“Working with any practice that helps you actively use your intuitive brain can be very valuable and is even more so when we push away the mystique and look at the
practice rationally,” explained Newlon.

Now that you are empowered with understanding and the means to strengthen your intuition, why not start to see where your inner voice will lead you?

Editor’s Note: Dana Santas, known as the Mobility Maker, is a strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach for professional sports. She is the author of “Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief”.