Hyper Vigilance Masquerading as Intuition

Intuition is a quiet yes or no. It has weight but not panic. Hyper vigilance is a siren. It scans the room for exits, clocks the tone shift, and writes a story before anyone finishes a sentence. They feel similar because both live in the body. One is guidance. One is survival on caffeine.

If you grew up with chaos, your body learned to predict storms. That skill kept you safe. The problem is that it does not retire just because your life is calmer now. Your system can still read a neutral face as a threat and call it instinct. That is not failure. That is history.

Try this experiment. When the alarm hits, pause and name three facts. They smiled when I walked in. They answered my text within an hour yesterday. They said I could ask questions. Now name what your body is doing. My chest is hot. My shoulders are lifted. My stomach is tight. Facts give your nervous system something to lean on. Sensations pull you back into the present. Most of the time, you will notice the volume drop a little.

Real intuition does not rush. It respects your timing. It says wait if you need to. Hyper vigilance says decide now or you will get hurt. Let time be your ally. If it is truly intuition, it will still be there tomorrow. If it is fear, it will shift with your state.

Build anchors. Eat real food. Drink water. Get outside and let your eyes do distance. Cold water on your wrists. Press your feet into the ground until you feel your toes. Text someone who can remind you of what is true. This is not bypassing. It is resourcing. You are teaching your body that safety is possible without disappearing your sensitivity.

Then practice clean asks. I am feeling edgy. I want to check my story. When you went quiet, I told myself I did something wrong. Is there anything I need to know. Watch how your body softens when truth lands. That softening is also data.

You do not have to choose between being wise and being jumpy. You can have both and learn which one is driving. The goal is not to lose your edge. The goal is to hold it without bleeding.