One of the most frequently asked questions I get from INFJs and INFPs is about suppressed intuition. It seems that so many of us shut down our natural intuitive gifts in childhood or early adolescence. This happens due to a variety of reasons, ranging from a narcissistic parent who never allowed us to truly be ourselves, to peer pressure in school from other kids who thought we were weird, or even teachers who couldn’t understand how we operated.
These experiences are extremely common for INFJs and INFPs, unfortunately. Most of us grow up feeling that something is wrong with us, something is “defective,” and so we try to go in the opposite direction and make ourselves into something different in order to fit in with the mainstream population.
But something happens after we grow up, especially later in life. That intuitive part of us resurfaces and it demands to be heard. We might push it down again out of fear or shame, but it never quite entirely goes away. So, then we double down on our efforts to use our logical side, the rational part of our brain that is also pretty good at solving problems and getting us out of tight spots whenever needed. However, in this case it doesn’t work. No matter how hard we try to think our way out of THIS problem, it just can’t be solved.
And that’s when the anxiety sets in.
Almost every INFJ or INFP I have ever talked to suffers from anxiety, and I do believe suppressing our natural intuition is one of the main causes. High anxiety or nervous tension is just one red flag that pops up when an INFJ or INFP suppresses their intuition though, there are more. I cover two of the biggest indicators in my latest video on INFJs and INFPs and intuition:
I also talk about a simple exercise anyone can use to begin to reconnect with their intuition, and uncover the reason they shut it down in the first place. Once an INFJ or INFP reconnects with their natural intuition, everything starts getting better. Their health improves, and so does their confidence in themselves and their whole experience of life. It’s a huge transformation and it’s truly life-changing.
I’m going to be teaching a brand-new course in March called, “The Creative Power of Intuition,” and I’m going to be teaching everything I talk about in the video, and also going way more in-depth on everything that has to do with intuition for INFJs and INFPs. I’m doing a 3-part video series this week to answer the most popular questions I’ve received about the course, so if you want to make sure you get the next 2 videos in the series, please sign up for my newsletter here so you don’t miss out.
And if you have any specific questions about the course that I haven’t answered, please feel free to email me at writecitysf@gmail.com. I would love to help get all those questions answered!
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Revolution, a guide to identifying and dissolving the roadblocks that hold back INFJs, INFPs, HSPs, and empaths from finding and living their life purpose, and The INFJ Writer, a writing guide made specifically for sensitive intuitive writers.
