Gut Instincts Never Lie: Trust Yourself and Win Bigger Than You Imagined

There’s a part of you that always knows—the quiet gut instinct that speaks before fear, doubt, and overthinking take over. In this episode, Dr. Julia Bowlin cracks open the science behind intuition, shows why it’s smarter than second-guessing, and teaches practical tools to hear it loud and clear.

You’ll learn how to catch the “first whisper” before fear drowns it out, how to use a simple Compass Visualization to tune into the body’s wisdom, and how to amplify your intuition signals so decisions feel lighter, faster, and more aligned.

Dr. Julia also shares raw stories—from gymnastics training to the chaos of making milkshakes during her husband’s chemo—that prove intuition isn’t mystical; it’s practical, human, and sometimes even life-saving.

By the end, you’ll know how to trust yourself more deeply and make choices you’ll celebrate—not regret.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why intuition is grounded in neuroscience, not “woo-woo.”

• How to spot the first whisper of truth before fear shows up.

• A hypnotherapy exercise to use your inner compass for clarity.

• A second hypnotherapy technique to amplify the body’s intuitive signals.

• How trusting gut instinct plays out in relationships, business, and healthcare.

• Personal stories of listening to (and learning from) instinct in real life.

This episode’s free downloadable worksheet—Fearless Decision Making—is designed to help you cut through the noise of overthinking and finally trust your gut. If you find yourself stuck in hesitation, second-guessing, or talking yourself out of the very thing you know is right, this simple step-by-step tool will give you clarity and confidence. Use it alongside today’s episode to name your decision, catch your first instinct, scan for the static of fear or people-pleasing, and then take action you can feel good about. Keep it handy the next time analysis paralysis shows up—you’ll be surprised how quickly you can shift from stuck to decisive.

https://www.juliabowlinmd.com/FearlessDecisions 

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Dr. Julia through her LinkTree 

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• Connect on LinkedIn 

• Visit www.JuliaBowlinMD.com  for more

Top References:

1. Bechara, A., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A. R. (2000). Emotion, decision making and the orbitofrontal cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 10(3), 295–307.

2. Gigerenzer, G. (2007). Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious. Viking.

3. Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. (2008). Brain activity predicts decisions before they are consciously made. Nature Neuroscience.

4. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

5. Lieberman, M. D. (2000). Intuition: A social cognitive neuroscience approach. Psychological Bulletin, 126(1), 109–137.

6. Sadler-Smith, E. (2019). Intuition in Organizations: Implications for Strategic Thinking and Decision Making. Routledge.

7. Raab, M. (2012). Simple heuristics in sports. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(2), 104–120.

8. Klein, G. (1998). Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions. MIT Press.

9. Critchley, H. D., et al. (2004). Neural systems supporting interoceptive awareness. Nature Neuroscience, 7(2), 189–195.

10. Vagus nerve and the gut-brain connection. (2018). Harvard Health Publishing.

At the end of the show notes, add:
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