We often rely on data, analytics and strategic planning to make decisions. But what about gut instincts? Icelandic sustainability leader and former UN adviser Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir makes the case for leaning into one of our most powerful tools in her new book, InnSæi: Heal, Revive and Reset With the Icelandic Art of Intuition.
“Innsæi [pronounced in-sigh-ay] is this beautiful Icelandic word, and you know how words can just be a universe in themselves,” Gunnsteinsdóttir says. While commonly translated as “intuition,” the concept runs deeper. The word combines two elements: “inn,” meaning inside, and “sæi,” evoking both the sea and the act of seeing. This creates a complex possibility of meanings, including “the sea within,” “to see within” and “to see from the inside out.”
The concept of innsæi is deeply rooted in Iceland’s dramatic natural landscape. According to Gunnsteinsdóttir, unpredictable weather and vast open spaces have shaped how Icelanders perceive and interact with the world. “When you’re in a landscape that’s ultimately wide and open, it inspires your mind to think widely and openly,” she says.
When properly developed, Gunnsteinsdóttir says our intuition provides tangible benefits. “We do things with more ease. We have more clarity of thought. We are better at prioritizing what is important and what isn’t. We become much better at tuning into the context of things and eliminating noise.”
Burning out and breaking through
Gunnsteinsdóttir’s interest in intuition wasn’t always academic. At 27, she led a United Nations agency through post-conflict reconstruction in Kosovo, a remarkable professional achievement that came at a significant personal cost.
“My personal intuition was really bad. I had no idea where to set my boundaries,” she says. “I had no idea that I could burn my candle on both ends, so my physical health was deteriorating really fast.”
After accepting a permanent position at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, Gunnsteinsdóttir became increasingly disconnected from her sense of purpose. With challenges in her personal life as well, Gunnsteinsdóttir hit a wall before turning 30.
“I experienced months of not sleeping properly. [I was] diagnosed with three slipped discs, and the doctor [told] me I might not be able to work full-time ever,” she says. “The sparkle in my eye had just vanished.”
What followed was what she describes as a deep dive inward. “The only way out for me was in,” Gunnsteinsdóttir says. This pursuit led her to rediscover intuition as a concept and a compass to her life.
Building your innsæi
In her book, Gunnsteinsdóttir outlines five specific rituals to help see within and access intuition more reliably. “It takes discipline and conscious intention to hear our inner voice and see within,” she writes in InnSæi.
These five practices create the conditions for intuition to flourish:
- Daily journaling: “Journaling is a powerful way to clean the space in your head and witness yourself unfold,” Gunnsteinsdóttir writes. Even a few minutes of writing without judgment helps release mental clutter and creates space for intuitive insights.
- Mind your information intake: In her book, Gunnsteinsdóttir advises you to “filter the inflow to improve your outflow.” This means periodically taking breaks from news media and social feeds that fragment attention, allowing your mind to process deeply rather than broadly.
- Practice attention journaling: In addition to traditional journaling, she recommends a second type: attention journaling. Attention journaling focuses on documenting what naturally catches your attention throughout the day without judgment. “Pay attention to what you pay attention to, with your whole body, and jot it down in your journal,” she recommends in her book.
- Take time for yourself: Schedule regular time alone, ideally in nature or situations that nourish your soul. According to Gunnsteinsdóttir, these moments of solitude are essential for reconnecting with your intuition.
- Ground yourself: Regular grounding practices help broaden your horizon and connect you to something larger than yourself. “Being aligned with your innsæi means you sense the sea within, you can see within, and you see from the inside out as you navigate the ocean of life,” she writes.
Distinguishing intuition from anxiety
Plenty of professionals struggle with whether they’re feeling genuine intuition or just anxiety when making decisions. Distinguishing these two, and knowing when to rely on analysis or intuition, is a practiced skill.
“When we have known ‘knowns,’ when there is certainty, statistics and analysis work,” Gunnsteinsdóttir says. “When we have unknown ‘knowns,’ when we have uncertainty, a well-honed intuition based on knowledge, experience and expertise becomes super important.”
She notes that anxiety, anger and emotional instability often block our intuition. “When we are emotionally unstable, it’s not the time to consult with our intuition,” Gunnsteinsdóttir says.
In those high-pressure moments when you need clarity, she recommends sleeping on it whenever possible. “There’s a reason why we’ve said this for decades and centuries…. Just sleep on it and see how it feels tomorrow,” she says.
Another recommendation she has is connecting to the earth. Having a tense conversation over the phone? Step outside, preferably without shoes on, and take the phone call from there to help regulate your nervous system, she says.
For those without easy access to wilderness, Gunnsteinsdóttir recommends connecting with whatever natural elements are available: the sky, flowing water from a tap, houseplants or even visualization. “Research is repeatedly showing the power of the impact it has to be able to vividly imagine yourself in a situation,” she says, suggesting that visualizing natural environments can help you regulate your nervous system and access intuition.
Gunnsteinsdóttir also suggests asking yourself two key questions:
- When was the last time you didn’t listen to your intuition?
- Where did you feel it in your body, and what happened as a result? Follow these with:
- When was the last time you did listen to your intuition?
- Where and how did you feel it in your body?
- What happened as a result?
Balancing achievement and alignment
Since rediscovering her intuition, Gunnsteinsdóttir has transformed her approach to career and ambition.
“I used to think about career as a ladder, but now I think about it as a portfolio,” she says. “I feel very fulfilled in feeling that I can be eccentric about what I decide to do in types of jobs and tasks and projects…. It’s just made it much more richer, and I’ve had more confidence in saying no and yes to things as well.”
For ambitious professionals feeling disconnected from their intuition, Gunnsteinsdóttir’s message is both a challenge and a reassurance: Intuition is a skill that can be developed over time, not an innate talent some have and others don’t.
“We have a lot of power in becoming the stewards of our own attention,” she says. “We begin to navigate the world from within, and that’s a very different experience from reacting to things that we think we’re supposed to be doing.”
Photo courtesy of Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir