Why Do I Have A Bad Feeling? 7 Signs Your "Intuition" Is Really Anxiety

An intuition will clear up confusion, while anxiety will just leave you more confused, according to Culbertson. If you feel at peace with a decision but then start to doubt it, the peaceful feeling is probably intuition and the doubting is anxiety.

If you still can't figure out the source of your foreboding feeling, try collecting more information and asking others for a reality check. Over time, as you start to notice patterns, distinguishing between intuition and anxiety will get easier.

Studies referenced:

Janiri, D. (2019). Shared Neural Phenotypes for Mood and Anxiety Disorders. JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3351

Trotman, G. (2019). Associations between heart rate, perceived heart rate, and anxiety during acute psychological stress. Anxiety, Stress & Coping.

Experts:

Bethany Teachman, University of Virginia psychology professor

Madeleine Culbertson, life coach