It’s one of the most commonly doled out nuggets of professional advice: “Go with your gut.” But it’s a very challenging system to consistently implement.

“We spend our workdays in our outer world. We’re interacting with our team members and clients. We don’t have enough time in our inner world where we can reflect on those experiences and listen to what our gut might have to say,” says Hana Ayoub, a professional development coach.

“Trusting your gut is trusting the collection of all your subconscious experiences.”

Why is trusting your gut so powerful? Because your gut has been cataloging a whole lot of information for as long as you’ve been alive. “Trusting your gut is trusting the collection of all your subconscious experiences,” says Melody Wilding, a licensed therapist and professor of human behavior at Hunter College.

“Your gut is this collection of heuristic shortcuts. It’s this unconscious-conscious learned experience center that you can draw on from your years of being alive,” she explains. “It holds insights that aren’t immediately available to your conscious mind right now, but they’re all things that you’ve learned and felt. In the moment, we might not be readily able to access specific information, but our gut has it at the ready.”

“I’ve never heard a client say, ‘I regret going with my gut,’” says Ayoub. Think of all the time and mental energy that can be conserved by not having to overthink your next move. Here’s how you can start right now.

After a meeting or interaction that requires a decision on your part, give yourself mental space to reflect. “Instead of grabbing a coffee in the kitchen, take a walk around the block. Spend time alone. Even if it’s just a minute,” says Ayoub.

If it’s a bigger decision you need to make, Ayoub recommends creating a larger window before you need to respond. “Start telling people: ‘I need to sleep on this, I’ll get back to you tomorrow.’ Start building that response into your conversations, especially with the people you work with most. It’s telling people that’s how you work.”