How The Enneagram Stress & Growth Lines Should Be Read
/The Enneagram symbol reflects how your energy is constantly shifting and changing. Even in a minute, your sensations, emotions and thoughts can change in dramatic ways. Your enneagram stress and growth pattern can help you to find your flow.
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The Enneagram is a map showing how your energy can shift in two different directions. Both directions are neither good nor bad.
When you move in the direction of integration, you are getting healthier in your type. As you get healthier in your type, you feel better in all nine.
When you move in the direction of stress, you are getting stuck in your personality type. Yet this is not bad news.
Signs of stress are a wake-up call for you to move back towards integration. Learning from your Enneagram stress and growth pattern can help you to find balance in your type. Remember it is important to explore both the healthy and average behaviours.
The more self-aware you become, the more quickly you realize when you are getting stuck in your personality type.
The type you go to in stress is like a safety valve to prevent you from getting worse. It prevents you from moving into a place where you lose connection with your true self.
Once you discover your Enneagram type, look at the information below to notice how you are doing. Pay attention to how you are showing up in the world and use this information to help you stay at your best. If you are moving towards stress, then it is crucial to take better care of yourself.
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Movements of Integration and Stress:
When you pay attention to your enneagram stress and growth pattern you are more likely to show up in the best way, each day, fully open to your inner wisdom.
Type One: The Reformer
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Type Seven
o Playful
o Curious
o Can see the big picture
o Want to get the best out of life
o The beauty of life comes through
· Stress goes to the average side of Type Four
o Internal critic works overtime
o Become overly sensitive
o Feel misunderstood
o Leans towards fantasy
Type Two: The Helper
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Four
o Practice self-care
o Learns to say no
o Open to their inner experience
o Ability to express the creative side of self
· Stress goes to the average side of Type Eight
o Neediness turns into dominance
o Love becomes demanding and even hysterical
o Becomes distrustful of others
o Attempts to control and bully by taking charge
Type Three: Achiever
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Type Six
o More willing to follow and less need for control
o Less competitive
o Teamwork and relationship become easier
o Loyalty becomes important
· Stress goes to the average side of type Nine
o The doing gets blocked
o Easily get worn out
o Becomes less productive
o Finds a way to numb out with alcohol, food or drugs
Type Four: The Individualist
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Type One
o Find strength and become empowered
o Become away of physical desires
o Become more vocal and assertive
o Feel more capable
· Stress goes to the average side of Type Two
o Retreat to compulsive doing
o Escapes with pleasures with (e.g., games, computers, and drugs)
o Become hyperactive
o Manic thoughts process takes over your life
Type Five: The Investigator
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Type Eight
o Find strength become empowered
o Enjoy life more fully
o Can step effectively into leadership roles
o Become more vocal and assertive
· Stress goes to the average side to Type Seven
o Retreat into compulsive doing
o Enter a fantasy world and disconnect from reality
o The manic thought process can result in risky behaviour
o Escape with pleasure
Type Six: The Loyalist
· Integration goes to the healthy side of type Nine
o Mind quiets down
o More trusting and flexible
o Able to be more supportive
o Able to trust their gut
· Stress goes to the average side of Type Three
o Anxiety increases
o Frantic attempts to gather resources
o May tell lies or deceive to look competent
o Driven to produce
Type Seven: The Enthusiast
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Type Five
o Become more focussed
o Engage in contemplative practices
o Consumption goes down
o Become more introspective
· Stress goes to the healthy side of Type One
o Become critical and judgemental
o Agitated with anyone who limits freedom
o Thinking becomes black and white
o Become picky and rigid
Type Eight: The Challenger
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Type Two
o Become softer and more giving
o Become attentive to others and more caring
o Show vulnerability and tenderness
o Learns to value other's beliefs and see others as equals
· Stress goes to the average side of Type Five
o Withdraw and isolate
o Become emotionally distant and less expressive
o Self-care falls by the wayside
o Detaches from vitality
Type Nine: The Peacemaker
· Integration goes to the healthy side of Type Three
o Learn to feel special
o Able to take decisive action in the world
o Adopts a positive view
o Able to stand behind accomplishments
· Stress goes to the average side of Type Six
o Reactivity and worry replace passivity
o Seek security in external structures
o Become suspicious, and anxiety intensifies
o It goes to self-doubt
Once you discover your Enneagram type, you will benefit from exploring your Ennneagam stress and growth lines. Learning through your directions of stress and integration can help you become the best self you can be.
Learning to be your best self is lifelong work. Over time you will gradually get healthier.
Yet life is always full of surprises. With more life experience and healing, the good news is that you will bounce back more quickly after stressful times.
With practice, you will notice signs within you that you are getting stuck in your ego. The earlier you can see the signs, the quicker you can move back into health.
With patience, hard work and determination, you can turn your life around. The more you are able to interpret your Enneagram stress and growth lines the better you will be able to function in life. As you get healthier, you will become stronger in all nine Enneagram types.
I am Roland Legge, an Identity Life Coach here to help you find freedom and joy through learning how to pay attention to your Enneagram stress and growth lines. You can join my private newsletter list for Free Advice and sign up for a Discovery Call that will include a mini-coaching session at no charge
