Ignored Your Gut and Regret It? Write the Reset
You knew. Somewhere inside, before the texts went unanswered, before the nights turned cold, before the truth rose to the surface, your body warned you. The knot in your stomach. The pause in his voice. The hesitation in his eyes. Your instincts whispered and you silenced them. Now you sit with regret heavy on your chest. Ignored your gut and regret it? Write the reset. These seven prompts are here to help you restore the voice you tried to quiet.
Regret after ignoring your instincts is sharp because it feels like betrayal from the inside out. It is not only what he did, it is what you didn’t do—listen. That wound convinces you that you cannot trust yourself, that you will miss the signs again, that you will always choose wrong. But your instincts never stopped working. You just overrode them. This is your chance to restore the trust you deserve with yourself.
The Reclaim. Piece x Peace Journal was created for this work. Its daily reflections help you separate instinct from fear, intuition from insecurity, and self-trust from regret.
“Your instincts were never broken, only silenced. It is time to listen again.”
Why Regret After Ignoring Your Instincts Feels So Heavy
When someone else betrays you, you can point to their actions. When you betray yourself, there is no one else to blame. That is why regret feels heavier than heartbreak. You lie awake wishing you had walked away the first time he disappeared. You replay the moment you said yes when you wanted to say no. You list all the red flags you saw and ignored, and every one of them feels like a scar.
This regret convinces you that you are foolish, weak, unworthy. But regret is not proof of failure, it is proof of awareness. You saw the signs. You felt the signals. You know now that they mattered. That awareness is already evidence of growth.
If ignoring red flags was part of your wound, layer this with Journal Prompts to Heal When You Can’t Forgive Yourself for Ignoring Red Flags. Together, these reflections teach you to release the guilt while strengthening the voice inside you that already knows the truth.
“Regret is not punishment, regret is the proof that you are ready to choose differently.”
The Patterns That Keep You Stuck
The problem with regret is that it breeds self-doubt. You start questioning every thought, every decision, every instinct. You look at new people with suspicion, not because they show red flags but because you no longer trust yourself to notice them. That doubt becomes its own loop.
You may even overcorrect. You analyze too deeply. You mistake anxiety for instinct. You test people repeatedly, waiting for proof of betrayal. The very voice you want to strengthen becomes tangled in fear.
This cycle often runs parallel to the feeling of being angry at yourself. If you find yourself locked in self-anger, spend time with Releasing Anger You Hold Against Yourself Journal Prompts. Pairing that release with this rebuild will help you create a more balanced trust in yourself.
“Self-doubt is regret’s favorite disguise.”
The Lie Regret Creates
Regret after ignoring your instincts tells you that you are broken, that you cannot be trusted with your own life. It convinces you that your inner voice failed you, when in truth you were the one who chose not to listen. That difference matters. Your instincts were right. You silenced them, but they never left.
The truth you carry forward is simple: instincts do not disappear. They only wait. They are still speaking, still guiding, still protecting. You can hear them again. You can honor them again.
“Instincts do not abandon you. They wait until you are ready to listen.”
Seven Prompts To Restore Trust In Your Instincts Again
These prompts are designed to rebuild the bridge between you and your intuition. Write them slowly. Let the answers remind you that your instincts are still alive.
1. What moments do I regret most because I ignored my instincts?
Write down the specific situations. Describe what you felt in your body before you silenced it. Recognize that the signals were always present.
2. What did my instincts say that I chose to override?
List the warnings, the nudges, the doubts you dismissed. Write them in your own words to prove to yourself that your instincts were clear.
3. What fears or desires made me ignore those instincts?
Explore the reasons behind the silence. Was it fear of being alone, desire for love, pressure to believe his words over your body’s truth? Naming these shows you the patterns that need compassion, not shame.
4. When in my past have I trusted my instincts and been right?
Balance the narrative. List times you listened and it saved you—ending a friendship, turning down an offer, leaving a room that felt wrong. These are proof that your instincts are trustworthy.
5. How can I begin to recognize the difference between instinct and anxiety?
Write about how each shows up in your body. Instinct is calm but firm. Anxiety is loud and frantic. This clarity creates safety.
6. What promise can I make to myself today about listening to my instincts?
Write a short, specific vow. For example: “When my body feels tense and my stomach knots, I will pause instead of pushing forward.”
7. Describe the version of me who always honors her instincts.
Write her clearly. How does she move? How does she speak? How does she love? This vision is who you are becoming.
“Restoring self-trust begins with writing what you already know.”
Why Journaling Creates the Shift
Your instincts live in your body, but your mind is often too loud to hear them. Writing slows your mind long enough to recognize the voice beneath it. On the page, you can see when fear disguised itself as hope, when longing disguised itself as love, when silence disguised itself as strength. Journaling transforms instinct from a whisper into something visible.
The Reclaim. Piece x Peace Journal was created to hold this transformation. Its prompts are consistent reminders that your voice matters and your inner knowing is worth following.
“Writing turns intuition from a whisper into a compass.”
Building Forward
Healing regret after ignoring your instincts is not about punishing yourself forever, it is about practicing trust again. Every page you fill becomes evidence that your voice is clear, your instincts are strong, and your wisdom is reliable.
If you ever feel like you lost yourself in love, layer this with Journal Prompts to Heal When You Don’t Recognize Yourself Anymore. And if you still carry the ache of always giving too much, read Journal Prompts to Heal When You Feel Like You Always Love More. Together, these reflections help you rebuild a self who is present, steady, and protective of her own voice.
“You do not need to earn back your instincts, you only need to listen.”
