That Quiet Voice: Learning to Trust Your Intuition When You Have ADHD
If you have ADHD, your mind is probably a busy place. It’s filled with a constant hum of thoughts, ideas, worries, and the ghosts of past mistakes. For years, we’ve learnt to distrust our brains and second-guess ourselves, to doubt our decisions, and to fight against our own wiring.
So, what happens to our intuition in the middle of all that noise?
More often than not, we learn to ignore it.
For a long time, I did too. Because of things like imposter syndrome and a negativity bias that made past "failures" feel much louder than successes, I built a habit of mistrusting that quiet, inner voice. It felt safer to rely on rigid logic, external validation, or what I thought I was supposed to be doing.
Sound familiar? This is the reality for so many of us with ADHD. We get so used to ruminating and over-analyzing that we disconnect from our own intuitive wisdom. But I recently had a revelation that changed everything.
My experiment: trading rigid structure for intuitive flow
A while back, I made a huge life change. I left the structured, predictable world of a 9-to-5 job to become self-employed, part-time student, and to explore my passions all at once.
My immediate reaction was panic. "I need a structure!" I told myself. My brain screamed for a color-coded calendar, a rigid daily schedule, and a list of rules to follow. That’s what successful entrepreneurs do, right?
But the more I tried to force it, the more I struggled. The pressure was suffocating.
So, I tried something different. Instead of forcing a structure that didn’t feel right, I decided to let my intuition lead.
Some days, I’d wake up and feel a pull to spend hours reading things completely unrelated to my work. On other days, my energy was totally focused on learning to DJ (one of my current passions!). Other days, my intuition practically begged me to slow down, go to the gym, and just be.
I was terrified that by the end of the week, nothing important would be done. But a funny thing happened. When I looked back, everything that needed to get done, in all areas of my life, was more or less complete. I had followed the natural ebbs and flows of my energy and focus, and it had worked. My intuition knew the way.
The big question: is it intuition or impulsivity?
This is the most important part, and it's a fear that holds many of us back. We know that ADHD can come with impulsivity—the sudden urge to buy something, make a rash decision, or chase a fleeting dopamine hit. So how can we tell the difference?
Impulse often feels urgent, loud, and reactive. It’s a “right now!” feeling that’s usually tied to escaping discomfort or seeking immediate pleasure.
Intuition is quieter. It’s a deeper, more grounded sense of knowing that comes when you’re in harmony with yourself. It doesn’t scream; it nudges.
The key to telling them apart is what we call the Power of the Pause.
Impulse hates a pause. Intuition thrives in it. By creating just a moment of space before you act, you can start to listen more clearly.
Your invitation: a tiny step toward trusting yourself
You don’t have to overhaul your life to start reconnecting with your intuition. You can start small, this week, with a little experiment in curiosity.
Here’s how:
Find a quiet moment: Choose a time when you’re not feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Maybe it’s while you’re making coffee or just before you start a task.
Take a breath: Just a few deep breaths to create a small pause in the mental chatter.
Ask gently: Ask yourself, "What is my intuition telling me right now?"
Listen with curiosity: Don’t judge the answer. Just notice what comes up.
It doesn’t have to be about a life-changing decision. It can be something as simple as:
“Is my intuition telling me I need to watch TV, or that I really need a walk?”
“Do I need to buy this coffee out, or would I feel better making one at home?”
“What does my gut say I should focus on for the next 20 minutes?”
You’ll get it wrong sometimes, and you’ll get it right other times. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about practice. It’s about slowly rebuilding the most important relationship you have: the one with yourself.
Let your intuition guide you for a bit. You might be surprised by how much it already knows.
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