How to Maximize Autumn, Based On Your Enneagram Type

Look, I like autumn as much as the next person. Reading with a hot mug of apple cider is especially fun during this season, the pumpkin patches are finally open for weekend shenanigans, and I get school off for a week around Thanksgiving. I love it.

But this year, fall is hitting different. Amidst the changing leaves and abundance of Hallmark movies, is the realization that 2022 is almost over — and many of us haven’t grown as much as we wanted to this year.

Usually, by September we succumb to the same unhealthy lifestyle patterns, telling ourselves that we can always wait until next year to fix them. But that’s four months of no growth.

We all have a bucket list of aesthetically pleasing fall activities to do. But each Enneagram type can add one thing to their list to grow as an individual.

Not sure what your Enneagram type is? Take our free Enneagram questionnaire here.

How to Maximize Your Autumn, Based On Your Enneagram Type

Type One: Do one thing a week that makes you happy to be alive

While Ones look like they have their lives together (many a time have I looked around my bedroom and wished I had the organization skills of a One), their carefully planned lives are usually the result of having a harsh inner critic.

The inner critic, which Ones can easily confuse with a healthy sense of responsibility, pushes Ones to give up fun and enjoyable experiences so that they can focus on “more important” responsibilities.

They can see doing things that make them happy — going to eat with friends, working on their hobbies — as a waste of time, because they aren’t being “productive” or contributing to the world in a meaningful way. This creates guilt that ruins experiences that should be fun.

We can’t function properly if there is nothing in our day that makes us glad we woke up. Ones will burn out if they follow their inner critic to the point where pleasure is absent from their lives.

Introducing more downtime to our schedules is difficult — but planning one activity during the week, purely for fun, can release the inner critic’s hold.

Learn how to sew and add to a quilt incrementally. Link up with a friend for a weekly catch-up session. Whatever activity you choose, make sure to stick with it every week and come away from it feeling genuinely happy.

Your autumn song: “I Still Have Faith in You” by ABBA

To experience joy: Learn how to knit, paint, or bake (better yet, try a recipe that fills your home with fall aromas like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves!)

Find Out More About Enneagram Ones: Enneagram 1- The Perfectionist

Type Two: Spend time by yourself

Around fall, Twos are typically the ones blowing up the group chat with potential hangout ideas, or inviting their friends to volunteer with them at the soup kitchen. From Halloween to Thanksgiving, they see an abundance of opportunities to celebrate the season while spending quality time with those they love most — and they are happy to focus their mental energy on other people.

But the problem for Twos begins when giving out genuine love transforms into needing validation from others. Twos who feel bad about themselves tend to perform more gestures for others, in hopes of getting that same love back.

However, people are people and they can’t supply all the validation we need. Until we realize this, being left on read will feel monumental, and someone’s disapproval will mean the world.

While spending time with ourselves doesn’t solve every problem, it will strengthen our sense of self.

By taking time alone to explore your hobbies, work through your emotions, and prioritize self-care, you communicate to yourself that you like who you are. And then, you can love others from a place of security.

Your autumn song: “True Love” by Coldplay

To experience joy: Host a Friendsgiving dinner, pick a book to read and enjoy it with some scented candles, take a nature walk while listening to calming music.

Find Out More About Enneagram Twos: 21 Signs That You’re an Enneagram 2

Type Three: Let go of meaningless schedule fillers

Goal-driven and charismatic, Threes put unmatched effort into the organizations of which they’re a part. They are the club presidents, store managers, and CEOs because they have so much energy to give to the things they care about.

However, this energy is wasted when it’s put into schedule fillers — dead projects, clubs they haven’t gotten around to quitting, extracurriculars solely as resume-boosters.

We’ve all found ourselves in clubs or groups that we don’t enjoy, just because we’ve been in them for so long that we feel loyal. And we’ve all hopped onto a new venture or job because we want to impress people.

The problem is, those things aren’t integral to your goals. They don’t add value to your life or others’ lives, so they are not worth the time you could be using to work on something you care about.

What you bring to each organization that you’re a part of is extraordinary — so this fall, let go of the ones that take the energy you need for what actually matters.

Your autumn song: “cardigan” by Taylor Swift

To experience joy: Read an autumnal fantasy book or meditate while being in nature.

Find Out More About Enneagram Threes: The Enneagram Type 3 – The Achiever

Type Four: Hang out with people once a week.

Fours value authenticity. They’re often dubbed the “deep-sea divers” of the human psyche, pulling aside the surface layers of who they are in an effort to discover their “true selves”.

This desire to know themselves deeply is incredible. But too quickly, it can become a path to self-absorption during difficult times for the Four. When faced with the challenges of life, Fours tend to retreat deeper into themselves, eager to find that missing part of themselves that will make what’s happening in the outside world feel okay.

But we don’t find ourselves by spending days alone in our rooms, or communicating our feelings solely in the form of art. To handle problems and strengthen their sense of self, Fours must “put themselves out there” — spend more time in the outside world.

This fall, make it a goal to spend time with your close circle once a week. Whether it’s through a big group trip to the movies or a night downtown with your best friend, remind yourself of who you are outside your own psyche.

Struggling to form friendships? Look through your contact list or social media friendships and see if there’s anyone you trust or value to reach out to. If you’re still struggling, consider joining a meetup about a topic you love, attending a book club, a class, or volunteering for a cause that matters to you.

Your autumn song: “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” by Oasis

To experience joy: Write a poem every day until December 21st.

Find Out More About Enneagram Fours: Enneagram 4 – The Individualist

Type Five: Begin a journal.

Curious and analytical, Fives are the unchallenged deep thinkers of the Enneagram. They love chasing their interests from project to project, and can be found consuming information during their downtime through podcasts and books.

For Fives to be healthy, though, they need to explore their emotions as much as they explore objective information.

Fives tend to hide from reality, relationships, and uncomfortable feelings behind the wall of knowledge they have accumulated. But as they ignore the emotions that make them human, they grow disconnected from themselves to the point where they no longer know how to handle strong feelings.

Buy an inexpensive journal and write down how you feel in it each night. Don’t feel pressure to voice your thoughts eloquently or completely capture your mental space — an entry could be as simple as admitting that someone’s words made you feel angry, and exploring why they did.

A consistent time to write through your emotions will help more than you think. Bonus points for doing it next to a fireplace.

Your autumn song: “Amsterdam” by Coldplay

To experience joy: Make a warm apple cider and read by your lamp.

Find Out More About Enneagram Fives: The Enneagram Type 5 – The Investigator

Type Six: Reach out to a friend every night.

Motivated by security for themselves, Sixes approach the world with an analytical, intelligent eye. This makes them excellent problem-solvers and loyal friends. But it also gives them a sense of insecurity, especially in their relationships.

Sixes’ anxiety makes it difficult for them to trust anybody. This is why even though they are usually reliable friends in which people can confide, they often report feeling like they have almost nobody to share their secrets and fears with.

This fall, Sixes can challenge themselves by working on trusting people more. While it’s good to be careful about who we trust, isolating ourselves to where we don’t have anybody to talk to about deeper topics is unhealthy.

Each night, go through your contacts and choose a friend to call, text, or email. Nothing bonds you more with another person than conversations long into the middle of the night. It’s such an unconventional time to talk that you feel like you can say things you wouldn’t want to say during the day.

If you’re not a night person, incorporate a piece of communication into your early evening routine. Either option will help you better trust your friends.

Your autumn song: “The 30th” by Billie Eilish

To experience joy: Watch a comfort movie under a thick blanket.

Find Out More About Enneagram Sixes: The Enneagram 6 – The Loyalist

Type Seven: Spend fifteen minutes in silence.

Particularly appreciative of everything the world has to offer, Sevens approach life with the wide-eyed excitement of a child. Their enthusiasm attracts people, adds excitement to their lives, and makes them effective communicators.

However, they can also struggle with impulsiveness. When given the option between finishing an important task and taking on a new, more entertaining project, they itch to choose the more exciting thing. If left unchecked, their tendency to give into impulses can make it hard for them to achieve long-term goals.

To give your mind time to calm itself down — and savor how great autumn mornings are! — challenge yourself to start each day by turning off your phone, closing your eyes, and sitting in silence.

When the world isn’t clamoring for your attention, you’ll have time to process your thought processes and reflect on why you jump at the impulses you do.

Your autumn song: “august” by Taylor Swift

To experience joy: Spend the day at a pumpkin patch or on a nature hike.

Find Out More About Enneagram Sevens: The Enneagram 7 – The Enthusiast

Type Eights: Write letters to the people you love.

An Eight’s biggest fear is being at the mercy of others.

When they’re healthy, Eights are inspirations. They are strong, confident and adept at lifting other people up. However, underneath their bravado is the fear of having their level of self-esteem determined by others.

This determination to stand on their own can lead to them emotionally distancing themselves from their friends and family. After all, Eights reason that if they don’t signify to other people that they love them, they can’t be hurt.

However, alienating ourselves from others just to have the upper hand only serves to hurt relationships with people we really love — and it only affirms their underlying belief that intimate human connection isn’t for them.

To remind yourself of how much you love your family and friends, write letters to tell them how much you do. You don’t have to send the letters if you don’t want to. Think of it as a “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” situation — but use the letters to remind yourself of why you love the people you do and to feel more connected to humanity as a whole.

Your autumn song: “Love Like You” by Rebecca Sugar

To experience joy: Throw a movie marathon party.

Find Out More About Enneagram Eights: The Enneagram 8 – The Challenger

Type Nine: Develop a health routine.

In workplaces and friend groups, Nines are often taken for granted. Understanding and soothing mediators, they are willing to ignore their own inner voice to hear all sides of an argument and help fighters reconcile.

But in their efforts to secure peace in the outside world, Nines can shut out their opinions and beliefs so consistently that they eventually forget them. Their outward focus often leads Nines to lose touch with their own needs for long stretches of time.

However, Nines cannot love others well if they are disconnected with themselves — they have to be fully present if they are to help serve others’ needs.

To regain touch with your sensations and personal needs, prioritize your body by developing a health routine this fall. Instead of eating whatever is convenient or easy to make, give yourself good calories by eating fresh foods. And learn the way your body works by going on morning runs or signing up for a Pilates class.

Your autumn song: “I’ll Be Seeing You” by Billie Holiday

To experience joy: Take a walk through your neighborhood and collect pretty acorns and leaves.

Find Out More About Enneagram Nines: The Enneagram Nine – The Peacemaker

What Are Your Thoughts?

Did you enjoy this article? Do you have any other suggestions for people with your Enneatype? Let us and other readers know in the comments!

About the Author:

Muna Nnamani is a high school senior. She’s managing editor of her school newspaper, an avid fan of personality typology, and a sucker for good books and bad television. She is an INFP 4w5 and suffers the consequences daily.