Is It Intuition, Anxiety, or Trauma? How to Tell the Difference When Your Body Says “No”

You’ve been there, right? Standing at the edge of something new—maybe a relationship, a job, a big decision—and suddenly your stomach drops, your chest tightens, or your heart races. Your body is shouting “NOPE!” But what does that “no” mean?

Is it your intuition—your inner compass steering you away from danger or something that’s not right for you?

Or is it trauma—a past experience, stored in your body, reacting to something that only feels unsafe, even if it’s actually okay?

If you’ve ever wondered how to tell the difference, you’re not alone. And before we go any further, let’s get one thing straight: having a strong reaction doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

In fact, your nervous system is doing its job. Whether it’s a gut feeling or a trauma imprint, your body is trying to protect you. The key is learning how to listen to those signals without automatically obeying them—or overriding them completely.

Let’s unpack the difference between intuition and trauma responses, and how you can start to discern between the two.

Let’s De-Pathologize the Whole Thing

Before we start separating intuition from trauma, it’s important to acknowledge that your body is wise—even when it's reacting from past hurt.

If something in your environment is bringing up fear, dread, or discomfort, it doesn’t mean you’re broken or overreacting. It means your system learned somewhere along the way that something similar once was unsafe.

That’s not dysfunction—that’s survival.

So rather than labeling your response as irrational or self-sabotaging, try approaching it with curiosity: What are you trying to tell me? Where have I felt this before?

When we treat our reactions as information rather than problems to fix, we start building a relationship with ourselves rooted in compassion instead of criticism.

Trauma Feels Urgent. Intuition Feels Clear.

One way to begin discerning between intuition and trauma is to notice the quality of the sensation.

Trauma-driven responses tend to feel fast, loud, and tight. There's a sense of urgency—I have to get out of here, I need to shut this down, I can’t do this.

Intuition, on the other hand, often feels quieter, more grounded. Even when it's telling you no, it’s not panicked—it’s clear.

Think of trauma like an alarm system going off in your house because a squirrel ran across your roof. It’s trying to protect you, but it’s responding to a past threat pattern, not necessarily the current situation.

Intuition is more like a trusted inner guide gently pointing you in a direction, even if it’s uncomfortable.

Practical Ways to Tell the Difference

So how do you actually tell what’s what when you’re in the thick of it?

Here are a few body-based tools to help:

1. Pause and Breathe.
Give yourself a moment to interrupt the automatic reaction. Even just a few deep belly breaths can help shift you out of fight-or-flight mode and into a more grounded state where you can assess more clearly.

2. Name the Sensation.
Is your chest tight? Are your hands shaking? Is your jaw clenched? Instead of analyzing the emotion, just notice what’s happening in your body. Naming the sensation creates space between the feeling and your reaction to it.

3. Ask: “Is this familiar?”
If the intensity of the reaction feels disproportionate to the situation, ask yourself: Have I felt this before? Sometimes the body is reacting to an old wound, not a current danger.

4. Test It Over Time.
If possible, step away from the situation and revisit it later. Trauma often screams now, while intuition remains steady. If you come back to the decision after some time and still feel a quiet, clear “no,” that might be your intuition. If the panic has faded, it may have been a trauma echo.

5. Try a Somatic Check-In.
Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Ask yourself: What feels true? What feels protective? What feels reactive? Don’t rush the answer. Let your body speak.

You’re Not Broken. You’re Just Learning to Listen.

This work isn’t about becoming perfectly intuitive or trauma-free. It’s about building a relationship with your body that includes both—your wise inner voice and your protective patterns.

And honestly? Sometimes they’re tangled up. That’s okay. That’s part of being human.

But over time, with practice and patience, you’ll start to notice the difference. You’ll learn to feel the subtle steadiness of intuition versus the gripping urgency of trauma. And you’ll start trusting yourself—not just your thoughts, but your body, too.

Final Thought: You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

If this feels hard, that’s because it is hard. Discerning between intuition and trauma is deep, layered work. And you don’t have to do it all on your own. Somatic therapists, trauma-informed coaches, and body-based practices like yoga, breathwork, or EMDR can all be incredible supports on this journey.

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to never be triggered again. It’s to know yourself well enough to say: Ah, I see what’s happening here. I can be with this. I can choose my response.

That’s not just healing. That’s power. If you are interested in getting started with somatic therapy, EMDR, or a therapy intensive, then schedule a consultation today!