While both intuition and your inner voice come from inside of you, here are a couple of quick ways to discern which is which.

Intuition comes through your senses and is unconscious–you get a feeling. see/hear a reminder, just know you need to do something, etc. Your inner voice comes from inside your mind and is conscious–a thought pops into your head, you wonder about something, etc. Since both come from inside of you, they can be easy to mix up. So how do you tell the difference between your intuition and your inner voice? Here’s two ways:

1. Intuitive messages are short and to the point. When intuition comes through, it’s not a long dictation from a higher power. It’s usually short and to the point. You may get a quick feeling that you need to call your mom, hear a voice say “turn right at the stop sign”, or just know that you need to steer clear of that woman in the grocery store. Intuitive messages don’t need to be long. Sometimes they can be difficult to decipher, so keeping them short helps us understand them more quickly.

By contrast, however, your inner voice is not generally short and to the point. It ponders, wonders, and even meanders. So the length of the message you get can help you tell if it’s intuition vs your inner voice.

2. Intuitive messages are directive. When intuition communicates, it’s usually telling you what to do or what not to do, so it comes across as a direction or even an order. Often intuitive messages begin with a verb, so you’ll feel or hear or see “call your mom” or “change lanes” while you’re driving, or “don’t forget your jacket”, etc.

Your inner voice, however, isn’t usually directive. Inner thoughts can wonder about things, ask “what if. . .?” and “why?”, rather than direct you towards taking action. So the way the message comes through can help you know if it’s your intuition vs your inner voice.

So the next time you are confused if an impression is your intuition vs your inner voice, check to see the length of the message and whether or not its directive to be able to tell the difference.

Want to learn more about trusting your intuition? Join Jennafer’s free class, 5 Tips to Trust Your Intuition.