Strengthen Relationships Using the Enneagram
Even if you don’t know what the enneagram is, odds are you’ve heard of it before. The enneagram is fairly popular, and for good reason. It helps you learn about your strengths, improve upon your weaknesses, and tells you about the ways that you interact with the world!
But the best part of the enneagram is the way it helps you improve your relationships with those around you.
It Gives You the Right Language to Express Yourself
The enneagram has nine types. They are-
Type 1- The Reformer
Type 2- The Helper
Type 3- The Achiever
Type 4- The Individualist
Type 5- The Investigator
Type 6- The Loyalist
Type 7- The Enthusiast
Type 8- The Challenger
Type 9- The Peace-Maker
These types all have certain descriptors that go with them. For example, type three is described as “driven” and type nine is described as “receptive”. This language is extremely useful for healthy relationships. For example, if my partner knows that I always feel the need to finish projects and succeed at them but doesn’t know why they might get frustrated. But if my partner knows that about me and also knows I’m an enneagram three, then they’re more likely to understand that that’s happening because I’m driven.
The Enneagram Helps You Become More Self-Aware
Whether it’s a romantic relationship or a friendship, self-awareness is key to keeping the relationship healthy. The more you know about yourself, the better of a person you can be.
If I'm constantly struggling with angry outbursts, and I don’t notice them but everyone else around me does, then my friends or partner will see me as unapproachable. But if I know I struggle with my anger, I can take steps to fix it, and my partner and friends will feel much more comfortable approaching me.
You Can Identify Potential Challenges Early On
Imagine you and your partner are both type nine’s, the peacemaker. And when a problem arises, you both tiptoe around the situation and avoid it because you don’t want to cause conflict. The issue festers and festers until eventually, one of you can’t take it any longer and explodes on the other. Not too great, right?
Now imagine both of you know that you are enneagram nine’s, which means you know that both of you tend to avoid conflict.
When a problem arises and you begin to tiptoe around it, you can recognize the unhealthy behavior that’s happening and stop it in its tracks. You can say to your partner that you know both of you are susceptible to avoiding conflict, so you want to deal with the issue now so you don’t regret it later. Much better, right?
The enneagram is a great tool for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is its role in improving your relationships. The self-awareness you gain, the ability to identify potential issues, and the new and helpful language to use can all help improve your relationships with others immensely.
If you want to improve your personal and professional life, and often feel like you are standing in your own way – consider taking the Enneagram Queen test right now. This is the first step to a new and improved you!