Making decisions can be hard and often we rely on our 'gut instinct' to guide us in the right direction - but an expert reveals that there's another sense that we overlook. She tells Gabrielle Fagan how to listen to our heart.

Every so often we're faced with decisions or choices where the outcome can be significant, even potentially life-changing, to our future, and we can flounder around, uncertain of the way ahead.

If despite our powers of logic, as well as research or sounding out the opinions of others, we still can't be certain of our judgment, we sometimes resort to what is commonly called our 'gut instinct' to help us find the right path.

Yet we're overlooking a far more powerful and positive source of help, according to Becky Walsh, author of You Do Know: Learning To Act On Intuition Instantly.

We should, she advises, be listening to our hearts.

Although this appears to run counter to the old wisdom 'Don't let your heart rule your head', she argues that, in reality, it could be the way forward to a happier life and making better choices.

"You know when somehow 'you know' the right thing to do," says Walsh, "but there's something in your head that talks you out of it, or you've been agonising over something in your head for ages and you can't seem to get a solution because the power of your logical mind keeps overwhelming you?"

It is that sense we should be aware of, but instead we often turn, in desperation, to our gut instinct, she says.

"There is a connection to our brain and our gut via our vagus nerve, which runs from the base of the brain to the chest and abdomen, and this will help give us feelings and signals, especially when we consider a decision or are feeling stress about our lives.

"It could be that you get an uncomfortable, nervy feeling about something new, or a tensing in your stomach about an upcoming challenge, but all too often that can persuade you to make a choice out of fear or to act defensively to avoid those worrying sensations.

"Ultimately, that approach can only help to close our lives down."

Walsh has researched neuroscience, psychology and spiritual teaching to formulate her theory on the power of the second intuition, and says: "Recognising our heart intuition is not difficult once we're aware, and we allow ourselves to accept the validity of 'feelings'.

"For example, you may get an excited, expansive feeling about something and simply 'know' it's the right thing to do.

"You may not understand why you know, you just know because it feels right. If you don't allow your rational mind to talk you out of it, often this can turn out to be the best decision you ever made.

"Using this intuition will also reduce worry and stress caused by overthinking and overanalysing."

The voice of our heart is expansive and will help us make better and braver choices, she believes, and because we have made an emotional commitment to the outcome, we are often more likely to succeed and begin to feel more confident in our judgment.

"Fear makes us hang on like a barnacle to the side of the boat of life, but when you allow yourself to go with the flow of life, you pretty much float to the top," she says.

"So, if you want more of a limitless life, follow your heart-led intuition. If you want to play it safe, follow your gut."

She gives five ways to test gut and heart intuition:

A heart-intuitive reaction

Have you ever met someone for the first time and had an instant, physical reaction to them?

"Your whole body wants to move towards them, and it's nothing to do with how attractive they are. Perhaps you have even felt as if you've met them before," says Walsh.

"This positive reaction is heart-led intuition, often caused by this person being able to teach you something or move you forward in your life somehow."

Walsh's advice: Pay attention when you feel this, she says, and, if you can find a way, talk to this person to find out what your intuition is trying to tell you. To have more of these intuitive connections with people, she urges, stay curious.

When we are curious about the people we meet, the heart opens and we are much more likely to feel deeper connections with people than our everyday thinking head is aware of, she says.

A gut-intuitive reaction

By contrast, many of us have met someone for the first time and had a knee-jerk reaction that we wanted to get away from them.

"This may have come with a sick sensation in your stomach or a negative feeling," she says.

"This is your gut instinct telling you that this person probably doesn't share your values," she explains.

"It might not mean that they're not a nice person, but just that the two of you wouldn't get on, for whatever reason."

Walsh's advice: Next time this happens to you, place your hand on your heart and ask the question in your mind, 'What is it about you I don't like?'

Often we look for evidence that our gut feeling is right, so we start to judge a person negatively.

But by putting your hand on your heart, you could help yourself get an intuitive insight into the deeper reason why you don't like this person.

It might simply be that they are jealous or intimidated by you, and you can win them over, especially if you have to work or do business with them.

The telephone test

Try testing your intuition to see if you can sense who might be on the line before you answer a home telephone call.

"Often when the phone rings, people will say, 'I was just thinking of you'," says Walsh.

"It is another sign that we intuitively know more than we think."

Walsh's advice: Try now to look out for occasions when you know your path will cross with an acquaintance or they will contact you, and don't be so willing to pass it off as mere coincidence.

Also, if the person on the end of the phone is someone we don't want to talk to, we can get a 'gut-intuition' reaction, feeling uncomfortable before we answer the phone.

If it's someone we really want to talk to, we can feel an anticipatory surge in the heart area, she says.

Snap decisions

When it comes to making a decision, many of us find ourselves going over the same thing in our minds, once, twice or 20 times.

"The likelihood is that for an important decision, it can be beyond 20 times. It's all too easy to become trapped in a ritual of weighing up the pros and cons, asking friends and family for advice," she says.

"This can lead to even more confusion. Yet when it boils down to it, you probably really knew the answer all along. Even with the mental merry dance of to-ing and fro-ing around ideas, believe it or not, you did know."

Walsh's advice: Think about the number of times have you found yourself saying, 'I knew that was wrong, I should have followed my heart' after you've seen an outcome and berated yourself over a faulty choice.

Instead, try making more snap decisions and sticking with the first instinctive solution or choice that comes to you. The more you do this, the less stress and worry you'll have in your life.

The power of advertising

Have you ever idly noticed an advert or an image and something really abstract, not even what it is selling, has popped out to you?

"This can often happen at a point when something is troubling you, and can inadvertently give you a clue to a solution, or an answer to a question," says Walsh.

"This is what happens when the right hemisphere of the brain is activating your intuition.

Walsh's advice: Pay attention to the world around you, and signs, synchronicities and realisations will appear out of ordinary observations.

Becoming curious about the decision we are trying to make is the first key to accessing this form of heart-led intuition.

When we think logically about decision-making, repeatedly weighing up the pros and cons, we can become overwhelmed or ambivalent and not do anything.

What can look good on paper might not work for us on an emotional level, and things have to feel right to be right.

For your heart-led intuition to work, you need curiosity, a purpose, so you can focus your intuition on it, and an outcome which has to mean something emotional to you.

When these three aspects work together, your intuition will feel like an emotionally positive surge forward, giving you an exciting, confident, stress-free way of living.

:: Information: You Do Know: Learning To Act On Intuition Instantly by Becky Walsh is published by Hay House, priced £12.99. Available now