Emotional Regulation Practices for each Enneagram Type
Each of these tools align emotional regulation practices with the core triggers, blind spots, and motivations of each of the nine Enneagram types.
By integrating these tailored strategies into your wellbeing practice, you will move your Enneagram practice from being a cognitive learning experience into a somatic practice that positively impacts your nervous system.
Type 1: The Perfectionist/Reformer
Emotional Blind Spot: Repressed anger that manifests as resentment, rigidity, and self-criticism.
Trigger: Things feeling "out of control," imperfect, or morally wrong.
Regulation Practices:
Somatic Release of Anger: Practice physical movement like mindful shaking, yoga, or dance to release pent-up anger in a safe way.
Self-Compassion Practices: Practice meditations that direct compassion inward and help soften self-criticism. Try journaling positive reflections on progress rather than perfection.
Box Breathing: Use slow, structured breathwork (inhale-hold-exhale-hold) to calm the nervous system and shift from reactivity to perspective.
Cognitive Reframing: Challenge rigid thought patterns by asking: “What’s good enough here?” or “What would happen if I let this be as it is?”
Type 2: The Helper
Emotional Blind Spot: Suppressed personal needs and unacknowledged pride in being indispensable.
Trigger: Feeling unappreciated, rejected, or emotionally disconnected.
Regulation Practices:
Mindful Check-Ins: Pause throughout the day to ask: “What do I need right now?” Practice listening to your body for hunger, rest, or emotional needs.
Boundaries Meditation: Visualise drawing an energetic boundary around yourself while repeating a phrase such as "When I care about others I protect my own boundaries."
Loving-Kindness Meditation: Direct compassion not only outward, but inward with meditations that use phrases like, “May I be happy, may I feel loved, may I honour my needs.”
Body Scan Meditation: Tune into your body to release areas of tension where emotions (like rejection) get stored.
Type 3: The Achiever
Emotional Blind Spot: Avoiding feelings of failure or worthlessness through overworking and image management.
Trigger: Criticism, failure, or not being seen as successful.
Regulation Practices:
Restorative Pause: Schedule moments of stillness (5-10 minutes daily) to reflect on who you are outside of achievements.
Non-Doing Practices: Engage in activities that don’t center productivity, like nature walks, art, or slow yoga.
Reflections on Worth: Write down a list of all the times you felt like the real you outside of what you were doing or achieving. Notice the feeling this brings up in your physical body e.g. calmness, stillness, ease
Journaling Authentic Emotions: Write down honest reflections about your fears, feelings, and desires to deepen emotional awareness.
Type 4: The Individualist
Emotional Blind Spot: Attachment to feelings of deficiency, envy, and longing for “what’s missing.”
Trigger: Feeling unseen, ordinary, or emotionally abandoned.
Regulation Practices:
Grounding Practices: Focus on the present moment with tactile tools like holding ice, walking barefoot, or deep breathing.
Gratitude Journaling: Counter feelings of lack by listing small moments of beauty and abundance in your day.
Name and Witness Emotions: Use tools like the R.A.I.N. Practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) to process emotions without over-identifying with them.
Creative Flow Activities: Channel emotional intensity into art, music, or writing to honour and transform feelings.
Type 5: The Investigator/Observer
Emotional Blind Spot: Disconnection from emotions due to over-reliance on thinking and fear of being overwhelmed.
Trigger: Invasion of personal space, emotional demands, or feeling depleted.
Regulation Practices:
Body Awareness: Practice grounding techniques to reconnect to the body, like progressive muscle relaxation or breath awareness.
Time-Blocking Connection: Schedule intentional breaks to connect with others or step into shared spaces.
Emotion Labeling: Practice naming emotions (e.g., “I feel anxious or withdrawn”) to make them accessible and manageable.
Self-Care through Boundaries: Learn to say, “I need some time alone,” and then practice returning to connections with intention and attention.
Type 6: The Loyalist
Emotional Blind Spot: Anxiety and fear of uncertainty that lead to overthinking or mistrust.
Trigger: Feeling unsupported, uncertain, or unsafe.
Regulation Practices:
Grounding Through the Senses: Use tools like the 5-4-3-2-1 method (e.g. name 5 things you can see) to interrupt spiraling thoughts.
Safety Mantras: Repeat affirmations like, “I am safe in this moment,” to calm reactive fears.
Physical Exercise: Engage in activities like running or weightlifting to discharge anxious energy from the body.
Trust-Building Exercises: Journaling about past experiences where things turned out okay helps build inner confidence.
Type 7: The Enthusiast
Emotional Blind Spot: Avoiding discomfort, pain, or stillness through distraction and impulsivity.
Trigger: Feeling trapped, bored, or deprived.
Regulation Practices:
Mindful Slowing Down: Practice single-tasking and mindful eating to ground yourself in the present.
Sit With Discomfort: Use breathwork to sit with a single emotion (e.g. sadness) for 5 minutes without escaping.
Body Stillness: Gentle practices like yin yoga or restorative poses encourage slowing the nervous system.
Gratitude Meditation: Reflect on "what’s enough" to counter the fear of missing out.
Type 8: The Challenger
Emotional Blind Spot: Suppressed vulnerability masked by anger, control, and confrontation.
Trigger: Feeling betrayed, powerless, or emotionally exposed.
Regulation Practices:
Softening Practices: Practice deep belly breathing to release anger and reconnect with the parasympathetic nervous system.
Vulnerability Journaling: Reflect on moments when you felt hurt or exposed, and process them with curiosity rather than defensiveness.
Compassion Meditation: Use mantras like, “It’s safe to let others in” to open space for softer emotions.
Body-Based Release: Activities like martial arts, boxing, or weightlifting help discharge intensity in a healthy way.
Type 9: The Peacemaker
Emotional Blind Spot: Avoiding discomfort and conflict by numbing, procrastination, and inertia.
Trigger: Feeling overlooked, pushed into conflict, or pressured into decisions.
Regulation Practices:
Body Activation: Gentle movement like tai chi or walking helps overcome inertia and re-engage energy.
Decision-Making Practice: Commit to small daily decisions to counter avoidance (e.g. “What’s one thing I can say no to today?”).
Breathwork for Alertness: Use energizing breathwork (e.g., kapalabhati breathing - the breath of fire) to wake up the body and mind.
Prioritization Exercises: Write down and prioritize personal goals to reconnect with your own true needs.