The 9 Enneagram Types: How To Find Inner Peace Tailored To Your Personality
Here's how the Enneagram can help you find peace.
by Radu Florin from Pexels The word "pandemic" is scary. You’re in shock, your mental health is taking a hit, and anxiety is spiking. The COVID-19 coronavirus is impacting the whole world.
You’re anxious about health, money, and possibly your retirement savings. Living in the time of COVID-19 quarantine is hard. The good news is a great time to learn about yourself and practice self-care.
This worldwide event has the potential to bring the whole world together. It's time to let go of conflicts and come together as one people. What are the signs you’re seeing and experiencing?
The Enneagram, however, can help you find inner peace and stress relief.
What is the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is an ancient symbol that dates back hundreds of years to mystical traditions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. In modern times, Enneagram teachers have found a link between Enneagram types and psychology.
Each of us sees the world in different ways. No one way is better than another. When you discover your Enneagram type, it provides a map for personal growth. Each type has its strengths and growing edges.
Discovering more about yourself through the Enneagram can help you to navigate this stressful time of COVID-19.
For each type, you will learn practices to help you stay calm and grounded. You have the strengths and gifts that you bring to the world. You will discover the warning signals that will tell you to take better care of yourself.
Here are 9 Enneagram types and how you can use yours to find inner peace during the coronavirus quarantine.
1. The Reformer
At your best, you’re a great leader and educator. Your gift is your inner knowing that there are better ways to make change in the world. Another strength is your excellent ability to teach. You’re a born teacher.
During COVID-19, we need people like you to keep the community informed about best practices.
We also require you to help educate the public to help them to understand the seriousness of the situation. You can help everyone to learn how to prevent further infections.
The Reformer's Blind Spot
Your blind spot comes active when you start to fear that you’re a failure. You put enormous pressure on yourself to do things correctly. Often you put unreasonable expectations on your self.
You would benefit from finding a practice to quiet your thoughts such as yoga, meditation, centering prayer, mindfulness, and anything else that calms your mind.
Please assume that everyone else is doing their best. Learn to catch yourself when you start to be hard on others. Being critical of others is probably a sign you’re too hard on yourself.
At a time like this, you need to give it your all to alleviate the pandemic. However, you need to let go of your need to do everything perfectly.
2. The Helper
At your best, you’re able to see what other people need. At this time, there are so many people needing help, and you will be there to give it your all.
You have a big heart and get great satisfaction from helping others. You have the wisdom to find a balance between caring for others and caring for yourself. Caring for yourself and others is so vital during this pandemic.
When emergencies arise, you will be there to do whatever you can. But at the end of it all, you will find time to rest and relax.
The Helper's Blind Spot
Your blind spot arises when you move into stress. You start to think that you need to earn your love and respect from others.
The trouble is that the more you try to make others love you, the more you will push them away.
Offer your help without any expectations. Focus on the people you’re helping and make sure you take care of your needs later.
It will be essential for you to take time for yourself. Plan a day to do whatever you want to do. Most importantly, learn to enjoy your own company.
When you care for yourself, you care for others. You have more energy to help others and improve your community. And you have the wisdom to discern the best role for you in any situation.
3. The Achiever
At your best, you’re creative, innovative, and energetic. What great gifts to bring to the challenges you're facing today!
You’re not only creative, you’re also a great mentor. You can see the big picture. You devise methods to get the job done and find the money to do what needs doing.
You refuse to listen to negative talk. You know the direction you need to take to help your family, organization, community, and world to get through COVID-19.
You not only want to get through this challenging time as best as possible, but you also want to learn from the experience.
The Achiever's Blind Spot
Your blind spot arises when you start to fear what others think of you.
You feel like a failure if you’re not perfect. As you fear more about how others see you, you become like a chameleon changing its colors to suit the situation.
As you spiral down into fear, you lose the power of your true self. You’re never at your best when you deny your truth.
As a three, you can find strength when you slow down to take care of yourself. Take a nap, read a great book, and watch your favorite movie.
Do whatever it takes to keep you healthy. Choose tasks that give you meaning and satisfaction.
4. The Individualist
At your best, you’re creative, heart-strong, and honest. You remind us of the importance of making meaning in life, to be our true fabulous selves and to make the best of each day.
You want to know what is going on in the hearts of other people. You want to be honest and you expect the same from others.
Life is precious for you and you want to live every day to your best. You want to know what is going on in the hearts of others. You want to be your unique, authentic self.
You remind us during this time of COVID-19 the importance of getting up each day and living fully. You encourage us to acknowledge the joy and pain in our hearts.
You ask us to find someone to share the emotional roller-coaster ride you’re experiencing. You want us to be real with each other.
The Individualist's Blind Spot
Your blind spot arises when you begin to have feelings of self-hatred and despair. The more you question your worth, you experience increasingly dark moods that are easy for you to get stuck in.
You can help yourself to stay healthy at this time of COVID-19 by being clear about what you need. Remember, you’re not alone. Stay in touch with family and friends through the phone, social media, and video conferencing.
By showing up every day as your unique self, you’re making the world a little better.
5. The Investigator
At your best, you’re a great observer. You’re the people doing all the research to stop COVID-19 from spreading. You’re offering your services to teach us all how to best deal with the spread of the pandemic.
Please don’t undervalue the work you do. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like you have all the answers. The world is depending on you sharing what you’re learning.
Your dedication to detail can help the world to find answers to significant concerns like global warming and other vital issues. Please don’t keep your knowledge to yourself. The world needs you to show up every day.
The Investigator's Blind Spot
Your blind spot arises when you get stuck in the fear of looking foolish. You get more disconnected when you separate yourself from the real world, finding safety in your imaginary world.
You’re going to get through this time of COVID-19 much easier if you find practices to help you to stay connected to your body and emotions.
Spiritual and mindfulness practices will help you to find the courage to share your wisdom and help you stay grounded. It's people like you who are going to make breakthroughs that help us find the vaccine.
6. The Reformer
At your best, you're courageous. You’re needed to help all of us to stay safe. It is obvious to you when something is not right in your family, place of work, and community. You’re great at preventing problems before they even happen.
During COVID-19, you’re more likely to be extra sensitive to the fear in the world. You will do everything you can to ensure people follow the rules.
Please don’t be hard on yourself when others don’t listen. Remember that each of us has to take responsibility for ourselves. We can not force anyone to change.
Use your courage to make the world safer. Remember that fear can be a great teacher.
The Reformer's Blind Spot
As your blind spot arises, you’re going to move into fear.
When you experience anxiety, this is a time to quiet the mind through practices such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, exercise, and music to help you connect with your true courageous self.
7. The Enthusiast
At your best, you’re going to help yourself and others find joy during this difficult time.
You'll find ways to help all of us play with each other and get the best out of each moment.
You'll help us not to take life too seriously. Because you’re a big picture person, you can see beyond the pandemic to better times again.
The Enthusiast's Blind Spot
As your blind spot arises, you start to get bored. You may feel desperate to go out for an adventure because of your lack of activity and social life.
Slowing down causes you to get in touch with your fear. You usually avoid fear through staying active and keeping your adrenaline pumped up.
Pay attention to your thoughts. When your inner critic shows up, question the truth of what it is saying.
You will continue to grow by facing your fear with courage. You will discover you’re a lot stronger, capable, and courageous than you realized.
8. The Challenger
At your best, you’re a mover and shaker with a big heart. You have a strong desire to stand in solidarity with people being taken advantage of or ignored.
You have the strength to be a great leader during this pandemic. You’re not afraid to say what needs to be said, even if it's unpopular.
You intuitively know what needs doing. You’re making things happen while inspiring your community.
The Challenger's Blind Spot
Your blind spot shows up when you start to feel held back by others. At times like this, you block your emotions. You do this to protect your tender heart.
Watch out for your anger. Anger is a sign for you that you’re starting to feel constrained by others. Maybe you need to learn to be more patient and allow others to catch up with you.
Especially during a time like this, it's essential to work with others to share the load. You may have unrealistic expectations of what you can achieve.
Your open heart will help you to connect with many people. Your ability to be vulnerable will increase opportunities to help others.
Take time to care for yourself. Do something that you enjoy, like read a book, listen to music, or play a game with a friend.
9. The Peacemaker
At your best, you bring many gifts to your community. You’re a great observer with the gift of understanding.
You can help your family and community to understand what each other is going through. Your gift is to help people find a consensus on how to work together.
At a time when people’s fear and insecurities will rise to the surface, you can help people to get beyond their misunderstandings. You can encourage people to work together in a way that will benefit all people.
The Peacemaker's Blind Spot
Your blind spot shows up when you begin to fear losing connection with those you love. When you walk into fear, you tend to avoid conflict making it much worse in the end.
You must share your opinions. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat.
Get plenty of exercise and movement to help you stay in touch with the sensations of your body. Physical movement will help you to stay healthy and grounded.
You have anger issues, too. You tend to avoid conflict until it catches up with you, and you blow up.
Learn to pay attention to signs of anger in your body. When you’re aware, you can discern what you need to do and say to resolve the issue.
Each of us needs to bring out our best so we, the people of the world, can get this pandemic under control.
Imagine how much better the world can be if we all take responsibility to be our best selves.
Making this a part of your daily practice can help you to move through this pandemic with hope, purpose, and joy despite the challenges the virus puts on us.
Roland Legge is a life coach who offers coaching through REL Consultants. You can join his private newsletter list for free monthly advice and get your free Enneagram test and sign up for a free 30-minute discovery call.