I speak with many business people in my work and a common topic of discussion is how can you use your feelings within the business environment.

Many shy away from feelings because they have this idea that feelings equal emotions and there is no place for emotions in business.

I beg to differ. Feelings can arise as a result of an emotion but they are much more than that. Feelings are the doorway to your intuitive self – and all successful business people use their intuition. Intuition never misleads us and whilst it may be seemingly taking us off on a tangent, you can be sure it’s an important tangent that needs paying attention to.

If you are not used to tapping into that part of yourself then the easiest place to start is to practise in your personal life, and once you get confident you can expand it out into the workplace. So, how you do tap into that ‘knowing space’ within yourself?

Think of a decision you have to make, preferably an either/or decision. Close your eyes and imagine doing the first option: really get into it, envision how it would feel inside of you if you were doing whatever that option is. Then, whilst keeping in touch with that feeling, realise that you can never, ever do the other option. Now notice how that feels inside of you, pin point that sensation in your body and recognise the strength of it where it hits you.

Now, do exactly the same thing but this time imagine doing the second option without ever doing the first.  Again, notice how that feels, where it touches you and the strength of it. Then ask yourself which scenario felt better, the first or the second? Whichever it was, there is your answer.

So how does this help in business? Well, two ways.

Firstly, intuition builds with practise. If you never even stop to see what it might be telling you, then you simply cannot hear it in the moments that it could really help you. It is rather like tuning in a radio – if you are not on the right frequency, it will not matter how loud the volume is, the radio stays silent. Similarly with your intuition if you practise listening and tuning into it, you’ll be able to hear it more clearly and it will be there for you when you need it both personally and professionally.

Secondly, this method of checking in with your feelings can give you an extra piece of the puzzle when making business decisions. Our minds are great tools and they are designed to think and doubt as well as to think rationally – it’s why we can debate both sides of an argument. However, that can also be what can cause problems when we are having a hard time making a decision.

So, if you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to business decision making then use the process above and see which feels best. If you do this enough, it will become second nature to you and you won’t even have to go through the ‘closed eye process’. You will simply be able to check in with your body and see what it is telling you, even when sitting at your desk.