In a time of pandemic and global uncertainty, how one deals with stress is as relevant a topic as ever. And as we know, your unique Myers-Briggs personality type can play a critical role in how you manage and process stress and anxiety.
When you think of powerful types within the Enneagram, it is tempting to focus on Type 8, the Leader or Type 3, the Achiever. These outwardly focused, action-oriented individuals easily garner the attention and often admiration of others. They are strong, high-achieving personalities that get things done. But did you know that the true powerbroker in the Enneagram is really Type 9, the Peacemaker?
The Big Five, DISC, Myers and Briggs, the Enneagram — all these personality systems help you understand yourself and other people better. By learning your own personality traits and those of others, you can begin to understand the inherent strengths and potential pitfalls we all possess.
Recently, I asked one of my best friends to send me her music recommendations. What I got back was a playlist so varied, so cool and so completely different from my music that I couldn’t believe what I was listening to.
This friend is one of the people I feel closest to in my life but she also couldn’t be more different from me. We are total opposites. And that’s why our friendship works.
Given the stress and uncertainty 2020 has brought, the idea of setting goals for the new year might make you want to burrow into a hole.
When you’re taught to set and pursue goals just one way, instead of what’s best for your personality type, it’s easy to feel anxious, apathetic, or discouraged. It’s no wonder why 92% of people who set New Year’s goals end up abandoning them—they’re working against their unique personality type, not with it.
You made it through the holidays without causing any irreparable damage to your relationships and now you are into the final stretch of 2020. Your last challenge in this turbulent year is to set your new year intentions for 2021.
If there is anything 2020 taught us, it is that there are many things in life we can’t control. With that as the backdrop, let 2021 be the year where we go within. This isn’t the year to check things off our bucket list. Instead, this new year presents an excellent opportunity to work on our internal world.
The holiday season is a time to connect with loved ones, but it can be a stressful time for Introverts who are trying to keep up. Getting enough alone time is important to introverted types, but if they’re skipping events to be alone, they often feel a major case of FOMO. So how do you balance the much-needed time to recharge with the demanding social calendar of the holidays?
The perfect holiday period looks different for everyone. For some who type as Extraverts on a Myers and Briggs personality test, it might be a calendar filled with social events, meeting up with friends and family and getting into the holiday spirit with big crowds and parties. For Introverts, it probably involves more time enjoying the calmer aspects of the holiday season, with plenty of time for reflection.
As chill and nonchalant INTP personalities may seem on the surface, we can be masters at disguising our stress—into self-deprecating humor, perhaps, or even excessive socializing. Uncharacteristic behavior is the number one identifier for extreme stress in INTPs.
It was the 2018 holiday season and my radio was keeping me company as I tended to some task in my kitchen. Soon I heard these familiar words:
It’s the hap - happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It’s the hap - happiest season of all
“Hmph!” I thought as I listened. “Maybe some of us would find the Christmas season even happier if there weren’t quite so many people around all the time!”
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