If You're An Enneagram 3, Here Is The Self-Help Book You Should Read
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The Enneagram, like the Myers-Briggs test, is one of many personality indicators that can help you define yourself. Enneagram numbers — with their ability to bring insight into our strengths and weaknesses — keep garnering popularity, and it's easy to understand why. Knowing your Enneagram can help you learn how you work with others, what kind of relationships will be the most successful, and how to unwind. If you happen to be an Enneagram Three — aka The Achiever — unwinding can be difficult (per the Enneagram Institute).
It's no secret that reading more books is an assured way to slow down while keeping your mind occupied. However, The Achiever can be so driven that relaxing is not much of a priority. According to the Enneagram Institute, Enneagram Threes have the basic fear "of being worthless" and a basic desire "to feel valuable and worthwhile." If you're an Enneagram Three, these are the books that will activate your brain and keep you on track to reach your goals all while giving you a chance to finally take a break.
If you're an Enneagram Three and (constantly) stressed out
Every woman fulfills a variety of roles, and constantly taking care of work, family, and yourself can become exhausting. Escaping that sense of burnout isn't always easy. Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., and Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A, are a writing duo — and sisters — who are all too familiar with the burnout cycle and want to help others escape it. That's why they co-wrote "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle."
Burnout can affect everyone, but according to the Nagoski sisters, and other researchers, women tend to experience burnout more often than men. The constant juggling of work, family, and personal responsibilities can leave your body reeling, as Amelia told NPR. "I had no idea how much my body was suffering," she said. Her attempt to complete her doctoral program at school, mother her three teenage children, and work two jobs, eventually led her to an unexpected hospitalization. "It took me totally by surprise when in the middle of one night, I woke up in such pain that I had my husband drive me to the emergency room," Amelia explained to the outlet. "They just said well, it's stress. You just need to relax."
Being told to relax is one of several tips women are given when they're struggling with burnout. The Nagoski sisters decided to take a scientific approach to the problem instead. In their book, they break down how you can soothe your biological stress cycle and escape burnout. This is perfect for Enneagram Threes, who often find it difficult to unwind.
If you're a creative Achiever, try this book
Author Rahaf Harfoush argues that productivity does not equate to creativity. For Enneagram Threes, that can be something you might not want to hear. According to the Enneagram Institute, Enneagram Threes are "success-oriented" and are motivated by a "want to be affirmed, to distinguish themselves from others, to have attention, to be admired, and to impress others." Often, that desire leads to the drive to get things done.
"Our culture has become obsessed with hustling," reads the description for Harfoush's book, "Hustle & Float: Reclaim Your Creativity and Thrive in a World Obsessed with Work" (per Audible.com). That constant grind may make us productive, but it could be stealing some of our creativity, too. In "Hustle & Float," Harfoush writes about how many of us are stuck in between the space of productivity and creativity. Through studying history and science, though, Harfoush found a path toward fostering creativity amidst hustle culture. By balancing creativity with productivity, you can do better work for longer while fulfilling all your creative desires.
If you're an Enneagram Three with 'relaxing' on your to-do list
Enneagram Threes are known for their drive for success, but that constant commitment to excellence comes at a price (per the Enneagram Institute). Usually, the resource most often traded for success is time: The time it takes to practice a skill, complete a task, or learn something new. Even when we have time to unwind, many of us spend it behind screens offering tips on how to become our best selves. Author Jenny Odell argues that the attention we're all too quick to give away is actually our most valuable resource.
In "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy," Odell explains that an individual is more than the sum of the work they have done. Odell writes that even when unproductive, you're valuable, and in some ways, maybe even more so. In taking the time to pay attention to something other than our to-do list, we can reimagine our place in the world and "win back our lives," Odell explains (according to Amazon.com). That sounds like perfect advice for Enneagram Threes!