Tips to Improve Your Well-Being Based on Your Enneagram: The Enneagram and Mental Health

Quick question. How well do you know yourself?

Understanding who you are is the first step to taking charge of your mental health. It helps you harness your strengths and improve your weaknesses to have a better sense of control in this fast-paced world.

When it comes to self-awareness, it goes beyond knowing your favorite food or colors. It means understanding the motives behind your actions and knowing your fears, deepest desires, and what gets you moving.

So, the next time you wonder why you act the way you do, the answer may lie in your Enneagram personality type. Your Enneagram can play a role in both your physical wellness and your mental health.

If you are new to the Enneagram, you may want to learn more about the nine personality types. You can also take an Enneagram test to find out which one you are.

Now, let’s look at the nine Enneagram personality types and how they affect your mental well-being.

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Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 1 - The Perfectionist

As a Type 1, perfectionism is one of your core traits. You love a pristine home, you want everything you do to be perfect, and anything else means failure (much like the Type A personality).

While self-discipline and the drive for excellence are vital for success, they can also harm your mental health when all-encompassing. For example, you stress when the littlest things are out of place. A slight detour in your plans can leave you feeling anxious and make you wallow in self-doubt and negative self-evaluation, which is not helpful to your mental well-being.

The next time you feel your mind going out of control because things didn't go as planned, here's what to do:

• Consciously exhibit self-compassion by speaking positively to yourself. Tell yourself it’s okay to fail sometimes, and it doesn’t define who you are. Speak it even if you don’t believe it; soon enough, your mind adapts to more positive thoughts.
• Break tasks into smaller bits. This way, you avoid the trap of doing it perfectly all at once.
• Practice flexibility by making slight changes in your daily routines to make handling unplanned events easier.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 2 - The Helper

As a Type 2, you stand out as the caregiver and most compassionate of the nine Enneagram personalities. You love being the reason people smile, and you go out of your way to lend a helping hand to your loved ones. However, there are days when you don't feel up to supporting others, but you can't say no because that's who you are.

Slowly, your caregiving nature slips into over-giving and validation-seeking. You now find it difficult to set boundaries; you become codependent on others and struggle with low self-esteem.

If this is you, and you want to take charge of your mental health without changing your loving and empathic nature, do these things:

• Offer alternative solutions. When you feel you can't say no to specific requests, suggest a compromise that shows you are willing to help but not in the way requested. For example, "I can help you run errands, but I cannot stay to decorate for the party."
• Don't offer open-ended commitments. Be specific. Say, "I will be available to help tomorrow between 4-5 pm," instead of saying you'd be available tomorrow.
• Make time for self-care because you are the first person you should always look out for.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 3 - The Achiever

As the goal-getter and overachiever that you are, you often let your success define you. Think about it: When did you last have a conversation without mentioning “how much you closed in sales” or another notable achievement?

But that's not the problem for Enneagram Type 3. It's how you constantly strive for the next level without enjoying your recent success. It is your constant need to show others that you are not a loser, and it's the identity crisis you experience when you fail. Dear Achiever, you must understand that success or failure doesn’t define you.

If you are a Type 3, here’s how to take charge of your mental health and emotions:

• Appreciate the simple things in your life, like your clean home or supportive family. It will help you develop a sense of identity outside your accomplishments.
• Maintain a healthy work-life balance by setting solid boundaries and time restrictions.
• Keep a failure journal. When you write about your failures, you can learn from them, and soon, failing morphs from being a big life-ending event to a learning experience.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 4 - The Individualist

As a Type 4, you experience emotions more intensely than others. Your deep, sentimental nature makes you a romantic lover. However, you are also hyper-aware that many people don't have this much depth, and only care for lazy small talk (as you view it).

You feel a sense of uniqueness that no one understands, and it may cause you to isolate yourself and push you into a depressive state.

Here’s what to do when you’re feeling blue:

• Practice mindfulness techniques like meditation and journaling to give you more clarity on your emotions.
• Explore creative outlets like painting, drawing, or acting classes to channel your emotions into a hobby you enjoy.
• If your depressive symptoms are consistent or severe, go for therapy or counseling.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 5 - The Investigator

As a cerebral person, you may struggle with emotional expressions, as is typical with Type 5s. This lack of emotional connection may push you into isolation, anxiety, and overthinking, which affects your mental health.

If you are a Type 5, here are some practical tips for engaging with your feelings and establishing better emotional connection:

• Practice vulnerability by opening up to trusted individuals. You can start with minor issues and work your way up to deeper conversations.
• Develop empathy by constantly pausing to ask yourself, “What if I was in this person’s shoes?”
• Join non-profit communities that fight for good causes. It helps evoke a sense of purpose and practice empathy more.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 6 - The Loyalist

As a Loyalist or Skeptic, your Type 6 personality stems from your need for safety and reassurance. You double-check, second guess, and worry about the littlest thing. You have difficulty believing people's genuine intentions and think danger is always lurking around the corner.

True, nothing seems to catch you unaware, but then, these traits make you exhibit chronic worrying, anxiety, and fear of abandonment.

Here’s how to cultivate better trust in yourself, others, and in life in general if you are a Type 6:

• Have daily reflections to identify thoughts and patterns that trigger anxious behaviors and challenge them by asking yourself, “Is this fear based on evidence or irrational worry?”
• Indulge in regular physical activities as they help reduce anxiety. Exercise also helps to lower stress.
• Cut down on the news and social media and adopt non-electronic hobbies.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 7 - The Enthusiast

As a Type 7, you have a jolly view of life. You don't take yourself too seriously and live life to the fullest. These traits have tremendous impacts on your mental health, but when done in the extreme, they may cause you to act impulsively, procrastinate, and lack commitment to important things.

The goal is not to stop being full of life but to find a balance between excitement and introspection; here’s how:

• Join mindfulness communities. As someone easily influenced by external factors, surrounding yourself with mindful individuals keeps you grounded.
• Indulge in fun activities that encourage self-awareness, like reading.
• Set slow-down time. You can set out one hour daily to disconnect from your mobile devices and other distractions.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 8 - The Challenger

As a Challenger, you display the most admirable strength in the face of challenges. You are strong-willed, resilient, and often other people's support system. However, you may quickly grow hyper-independent and refuse to take help when overwhelmed. This may lead to you developing a faux sense of “not having anyone” even when you have people around you. You are not alone.

If you are a Type 8, here's how to be more trusting and reliant on others:

• Delegate tasks. Begin with small jobs that don't require your expertise, then work up to assigning bigger ones.
• Ask your loved ones' honest opinions about your relationship with them. Keep an open mind; this could be the beginning of more open and better communication.
• Don’t hesitate to accept help offers. However, if you find others helping you uncomfortable, you can start with simple tasks and work your way up to more significant issues.

Mental Health Tips for Enneagram 9 - The Peacemaker

As a Type 9 Peacemaker, you strive for both inner and outer peace. You try as much as possible to avoid conflict, making you one of the most adaptable Enneagram personalities. However, the tendency to overlook matters for the sake of harmony leaves you in a constant state of internal conflict, which is not healthy for your mental well-being.

If you are a Type 9, here are some practical ways to assert yourself and handle conflict more effectively:

• Start small by asserting yourself in low-stakes situations. Then, as you become more confident, tackle the bigger issues.
• Rehearse tough conversations to help you build confidence before confrontations.
• Practice active listening, where you are listening to offer constructive feedback and have meaningful conversations instead of subduing your emotions.

Your Mental Health Matters

Mental wellness is a continuous journey of self-improvement. Your Enneagram type provides you with a better grasp of the "why” behind your behavior and a chance to shape your life.

We hope these tips help you take charge of your emotions and mental health. Remember, you've got this! 

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