An opportunity to attend an Enneagram workshop popped up in my feed a few weeks ago. Being curious, I looked up what an Enneagram was? An Enneagram is a personality test where there’s nine different types. Curious, I took the quiz which said that I was type 2: the helper, the giver, the mentor. Reading through the definition, some of it sounded a bit like me. I decided to attend the workshop, to learn more. It was definitely helpful and I gained a better understanding of myself.
Some quick background: over the past year I found myself feeling more mentally drained than usual. Things that wouldn’t normally phase me, started to. In a quest to help alleviate the fatigue, I found myself asking what could I cut back on? What’s more, it would be helpful for me to learn more about and get better at practicing self-care.
Back to the workshop, as the facilitator explained, a type 2, while prioritizing relationships and being people oriented, often neglects their own needs and takes things personally. In a nutshell, the biggest strength of being type 2 is people. The biggest drawback of being type 2 is people. More specifically, type 2’s are good at above all desire being valued by those around them. This can lead to people pleasing tendencies and struggles with not feeling worthy.
That sounds like me, I thought. I am really people focussed. I remember birthdays, message people to catch up regularly, and like to volunteer to help people. That being said, I had to be honest with myself and change a few things going forward. Among the changes I’m making:
Setting better boundaries with certain individuals, situations and myself. This means less volunteer work, limiting social media use, having boundaries with certain negative folks and learning to say no to attending some events.
Self-gratitude. I came across this concept lately. It’s like a gratitude list but instead focussing on what I like about myself. This practice helps me value my personal qualities instead of seeking validation from others.
Taking things less personally. Their thoughts and actions are a reflection of them, not me.
On a more positive note, the workshop said that type 2’s were good at networking. As I take the next steps in my career, I’m looking forward to making new connections. In the meantime, I want to share more about self-care practices in my next blog.