I’m often surprised by what people believe about their own intuitive nature - that it’s rare, fragile, switched on only in perfect conditions. That it disappears when life gets loud.
Let’s clear something up - your intuition does not shut down under stress. You simply tune out.
I’ve heard this idea many times lately, that when we move into fight, flight, or freeze, intuition turns off. That anxiety dials it down, and that overwhelm blocks it completely. But that’s not what’s happening.
Think about a moment when stress rose sharply in your body. You could probably feel your muscles tightening, hormones surging, thoughts speeding up. Everything getting louder, brighter, more urgent.
I went to the Filmhouse yesterday for the anniversary screening of Labyrinth (still magical!). Toward the end, I was struck by how intense it becomes - bright, chaotic, almost overwhelming. That’s what stress can feel like inside us.
When fear and anxiety spike, perception gets distorted. the mind gets noisy, the body floods with sensation. And in that noise, we lose focus.
Not intuition. Focus.
Your intuitive intelligence is still online, but your attention has shifted toward distress and then seeking relief, escape, toward whatever will quiet the discomfort fastest - sugar, scrolling, numbing, hiding.
We become consumed with managing the noise. And in that, we forget there is a wiser way through.
When the nervous system is inflamed, the thinking mind isn’t always your best guide. And if the body feels hijacked by stress, it can be hard to sense its deeper wisdom.
So in those moments, it isn’t about seeking something new. It’s about remembering.
Remembering that beneath the noise, your deeper knowing is steady. Remembering that there are answers available that will move you through fear and into clarity.
The first step can feel like the hardest, because many of us avoid stillness. We’re wary of what might surface in the quiet. But if you bring your focus gently into the present moment - through breath, a mantra, a practice that steadies you - the volume begins to lower. And what was always there becomes perceptible again.
There’s a saying often attributed to Archilochus: “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.”
We often assume that in moments of stress we’ll suddenly access our highest wisdom. But without anchors - healthy habits, simple rituals, practices that build coherence - we have nothing steady to return to.
Your training doesn’t need to be dramatic. In fact, the simpler it is, the more powerful it becomes.
Five minutes watching a candle flame, allowing your mind to focus on its movement.
Ten minutes following the breath through your body.
A daily body scan, simply noticing what you notice.
A mindful walk, fully present with each step.
Journalling a question and listening for the answer.
Each time you return to presence, you are training yourself for deeper focus. You are teaching your mind how to settle, and the nervous system learns that stillness is safe.
Intuition isn’t a technique. It’s innate. But practices strengthen your access point, they help clear the channel, and they build familiarity with your own inner language.
Your intuition is one of your greatest gifts. We haven’t lost it, we’ve simply forgotten to turn toward it.
A few reflections for the days ahead:
- What practices could I engage in regularly that help me remember to tune in?
- When I feel distressed, what would help me return to centre?
- Which intuitive senses feel easiest for me to access?
- Which activities calm and regulate my nervous system - humming, singing, cooking, movement, art, breath? Could I choose them more often?
Your intuition is built into you. Your job is simply to remember to listen.
Sending you blessings for steadiness, clarity, and coherence,
- Jennifer
P.S. If something in you is ready to go deeper, there are two beautiful doorways open right now.
The Intuitive Path - our free online series happening this week. Two evenings to reconnect with your innate guidance, understand how it truly works, and experience it directly. It’s spacious, practical, and powerful. You’re warmly invited to join us - and to invite any friends who would love this too.
Practical Intuition (7-8 February, online, aligned with Imbolc) - a two-day immersive experience of meditation, nervous system healing, intuitive development, and deep inner clarity. This is where understanding becomes embodiment. Where you strengthen your signal and trust what you receive.
If your system lights up reading this, follow that
