Gut Instincts: Your Second Brain Is Smarter Than You Think

If you’ve been stuck in your head lately, overthinking everything, circling the same decision for the tenth time, then it’s time to stop looking for the answer in your brain.

Your gut already knows.

We hear the phrase “trust your gut” thrown around, but this isn’t just feel-good advice. It’s grounded in science. Your stomach isn’t just a digestive organ. It’s a powerful, highly intelligent system often referred to as your second brain. And in some cases, it might just be your first.

The human gut contains over 100 million neurons, that's more than your spinal cord. This complex network is called the Enteric Nervous System, and it plays a huge role in the way you feel, think, decide, and react and that's what makes it more like a brain.

Your gut and your brain are constantly talking to each other. When that communication is clear, things flow. You move through life with more ease. You make better choices. You trust yourself. But, when the signal gets blocked, by stress, distraction, or constantly overriding your instincts, that’s when the second-guessing, anxiety, and sabotage start creeping in.

You've felt it, that churn in your stomach before something goes wrong. The light flutter of excitement when something feels right. Or that heavy, stuck feeling when you know deep down you’re not in alignment, but you’re trying to convince yourself otherwise. That’s your second brain speaking and it is loud. The problem is, most of us are too distracted or conditioned to listen. However, this is a skill you can relearn.

Start by checking in with your body before your thoughts. Every morning, ask yourself how you feel, physically, emotionally, energetically. And don’t analyse it. Just notice.

This is a powerful first step in rebuilding trust with your internal compass.

Next, track your reactions. If certain people leave you drained or certain environments feel heavy, pay attention. Keep a simple note on your phone. Your body often registers truth before your mind catches up.

Another way to strengthen this connection is through daily micro-decisions. Ask yourself what you want for lunch. What conversation you’re avoiding. What task you actually feel drawn to today. Wait for the answer. Even if it’s a whisper, it’s worth hearing. This is how you fine-tune the instinctive part of you that already knows.

Routine can be useful, but too much of it creates tunnel vision. Shake things up and decide take a different route to work, say yes to something new, try a new recipe, talk to someone outside your usual circle.

New experiences activate new neural pathways and expand your ability to listen inward.

And don’t underestimate your literal gut health. Your mood and intuition are closely tied to what you eat. Try eating slower, adding more probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut or kimchi, and noticing how certain foods make you feel. Digestion is a conversation between your body and your brain. Be kind to it.

At the end of the day, do a quick check-in. Ask, “Where did I override my gut today?” and “What was it trying to tell me?” You might be surprised at how often your inner compass was pointing in the right direction and you just talked yourself out of it.

On the flipside, take time to celebrate the moments when you did trust it. Remember the decisions you made that worked out because you followed your gut. YAY! Reinforce that connection. It’s stronger than you think.

If you've been feeling disconnected from yourself, constantly unsure or hesitant, the problem isn’t that you don’t know what to do. It’s that you’ve been trained to stop trusting your own signals. But your body knows. It always has and you just have to create the space to listen and the courage to act on what you hear.

And if that feels like a stretch right now, I can help. Whether it’s self-trust, clarity, or confidence you’re rebuilding, I work with people who are ready to rewire the way they show up in the world. Not with more noise, but with more alignment. When you’re ready to tune in instead of spiralling out, let’s talk.