How to Know If It’s Your Intuition or Just Anxiety
There’s a question I hear all the time during readings:
“Is this my intuition… or just anxiety?”
It’s such a real, raw place to be in, especially for empaths, spiritual seekers, and people who feel things deeply. You want to trust your gut, but sometimes your gut is tangled up in past trauma, heartbreak, or fear of being wrong again.
So how do you tell the difference?
Let’s talk about it. Because if you’ve been spinning in overthinking, I want to help you come back to center, and maybe even start trusting yourself again.
💭 Intuition Whispers. Anxiety Shouts.
Let’s start with the energetic difference.
Intuition is calm. Even when it’s delivering something heavy, it lands quietly. It doesn’t race or demand. It says, “this isn’t right,” and then it gets quiet again. It doesn’t plead. It doesn’t spiral. It just knows.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is loud and persistent. It keeps asking the same question 20 different ways. It demands clarity, now. It feels urgent, pressuring, tight in the chest.
If your “intuition” feels like it’s yelling, obsessing, or panicking, it’s probably anxiety trying to sound spiritual.
⚖️ A Quick Check-In: Intuition vs Anxiety
| Intuition | Anxiety | |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Calm, grounded | Fast, panicky |
| Energy | A quiet inner knowing | Racing thoughts |
| Body | Open, peaceful, anchored | Tight chest, shallow breath |
| Language | “I feel this is true.” | “What if I’m wrong?” “But what if…” |
| Timing | Often instant, one-time hit | Repetitive, obsessive cycles |
Real Talk: I’ve Been There Too
I remember years ago, before a big move, I kept pulling The Tower. Every time I tried to ask about timing or safety, I’d get that damn card again. But it didn’t feel scary, just truthful. I knew it was time to shake things up.
But my anxiety? It had a lot to say. “What if this is a mistake? What if you fail? What if the Tower means trauma?” It pulled me in a dozen directions.
Eventually, I sat down with my deck, cleared the noise, and just asked:
“Is this fear? Or is something truly unsafe?”
The cards calmed immediately. My anxiety was the storm. My intuition had already spoken, I just wasn’t listening the first time.
How Tarot Helps You Discern the Difference
One of the most powerful things tarot does is mirror your energy back to you. Not just to answer questions, but to ask the right ones.
If you’re not sure whether it’s intuition or anxiety, try this:
Pull a card for each:
- “What does my intuition want me to know?”
- “What is my anxiety projecting onto this?”
Notice the difference. You might pull the High Priestess for the first — quiet, mystical clarity. And the Nine of Swords for the second, mental spiraling, fear-based thoughts.
Tarot won’t magically erase anxiety, but it will help hold space for both energies to be seen. And once they’re seen, it’s easier to choose what to trust.
5 Tarot Prompts to Use When You’re Spinning
If you find yourself overthinking, try one of these:
- What part of me is trying to protect me through fear right now?
- What truth have I been avoiding because it feels too big?
- What would my higher self want me to focus on instead?
- Where is my intuition speaking, and how can I honor it today?
- What energy do I need to release to get clear again?
Let the cards be a tool for reconnection, not control.
How Empaths Feel This Even More
If you’re an empath, this gets trickier.
You might feel other people’s energy and confuse it for your own. You might absorb someone else’s fear, grief, or doubt, and think your intuition is warning you.
This is why energetic boundaries are so important. Before you ask your intuition for answers, make sure you’re in your own energy first.
Simple ways to ground before asking:
- Breathe into your body. Notice where you’re holding tension.
- Imagine clearing everyone else’s energy out of your field.
- Place your hand over your chest or stomach and say, “What’s mine? What’s not mine?”
From that place, the truth gets louder, not in volume, but in resonance.
Intuition Comes with Practice, Not Perfection
You might not always get it right. That’s okay.
Intuition is a muscle. You build it by trusting, messing up, reflecting, and trying again. It’s not about always knowing, it’s about getting quiet enough to hear, even if just for a moment.
And here’s the beautiful thing: your intuition never punishes you for second-guessing. It waits patiently. It’s always willing to speak again.
Reflect: Journal or Sit With These
- When was a time I knew something before it happened? How did that feel in my body?
- When was a time I thought I was following intuition but realized later it was fear? What were the signs?
- How does intuition feel in me vs what I’ve been taught it “should” feel like?
Final Thoughts
Your intuition is not fragile. It’s not vague. It’s not as far away as you think.
It’s steady. It’s soft. It’s the part of you that already knows. Anxiety may cloud it, but it can’t erase it. Your job isn’t to force clarity, it’s to create enough inner quiet that you can hear it when it arrives.
And if you’re ever unsure, if the fog won’t lift, if you’re spiraling instead of sensing, that’s when it helps to reach out.
Ready to Clear the Noise?
I offer intuitive tarot readings grounded in energy, empathy, and soul clarity. Whether you’re stuck in a spiral or trying to trust your gut again, I’ll help you find the signal in the noise.
👉 [Book a session with me here]
Or share in the comments, have you ever struggled to tell the difference between your intuition and anxiety?
You’re not alone. And your clarity is closer than you think.
Written by Allie | @EmpathAllie
Professional tarot reader, intuitive empath, and emotional truth-teller for women trying to find themselves again. Want a reading or more support? Explore my services on Keen at EmpathAllie, or follow me for daily intuitive guidance
Empath Allie 