I'm no expert, but having read about the pedaling action, it seems to me that it is not something we do intuitively, but have to practice and make it a habit. But I have read about ways to visualize the action that can make it easier to internalize:

Imagine that as your foot reaches the bottom of the pedal stroke, you are pulling not just up, but up and back on the pedal, as if you were scraping something nasty off the bottom of your shoe. As you reach the top of the pedal stroke, angle your foot upward ever so slightly, as if you were now trying to step over that nasty stuff.

"Your mileage may vary," but these visuals have helped me with my pedal stroke a lot.