Welcome to Indy Maven’s Enneagram column coming by way of Jenn Lisak Golding of Uncovered Gems. Check out her website for even more info from the world of Enneagram, or to book a private session.
How often are you showing up as “healthy” in your daily life?
As part of my Enneagram training, I’ve learned to look at how I operate in the world as either healthy, average, or unhealthy. Healthy is when we show up as our best selves, are able to be introspective, and can handle challenges with poise. Average is when we’re just making it through life… maybe we’re not in a bad mental space, but we’re likely not at our best either. Unhealthy is when all of our coping mechanisms, negative behaviors, and internal trash talk come out to play. Trust me, it’s not pretty.
As a general rule, the goal is to operate at a healthy level at least 70% of the time. We will all experience average or bad days, but that’s what makes the good days so much better.
So, how can you determine when you’re healthy, average, or unhealthy?
When determining my mental state, I look at a few key things:
- Behaviors: Am I operating from an abundance mindset or one of scarcity? Am I feeling energized by things that bring me joy or feeling depleted because I haven’t taken care of myself? Am I escaping reality or grasping onto it with all I have?
- Internal Dialogue: How am I speaking to myself about myself? Am I encouraging myself to take opportunities and reminding myself of all the different things I bring to the table? Or am I berating myself and telling myself I can’t do something?
- External Interactions: In general, are my external interactions with friends, family, and coworkers positive or strained? Do I enjoy spending time with others, or am I isolating myself?
As you go through life, I encourage you to take stock of where you’re at once a month as a way to take care of you. You could even incorporate a mood journal to help you track your mental health over time, which can be a fun habit that brings a little joy to your daily routine.
If I notice that I’ve had a series of good days, then I tend to keep doing what I’m doing. Live your best life! If I notice that, for the most part, I’m operating at average, then this can be a way for me to gut-check what is and isn’t working before it gets into unhealthy territory. Does something in my life need to change? And if I’m seeing a lot of unhealthy days pop up, then I definitely know it’s time to make some changes. But I also have to remind myself that I am responsible for my thoughts, behaviors, and actions, so it’s time to reset so I can operate from a place of kindness for myself and others.
Wherever you’re at in life, the beauty of it is that YOU can change it. We are a product of our mindset, not of our circumstances. I’m not saying that things don’t suck sometimes, but we can either look at the bad things as mountains we will never be able to climb, or we can look at them as obstacles that mean a change in direction to get us where we want to go.
It’s been a pleasure writing these columns, and I hope you’ve gained some insight from them. Keep living your best life, Mavens!
Check out all of Jenn’s past enneagram columns here.
Jenn Lisak Golding is a certified Enneagram coach through The Art of Growth and the face behind Uncovered Gems. She is also the founder and owner of the sister brand Sapphire Strategy, a measured marketing agency. Passionate about emotional intelligence, Jenn helps individuals, teams, and leaders on personal and professional growth journeys.
SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM
All of our content—including this article—is entirely free. However, we’d love it if you would please consider supporting our journalism with an Indy Maven Membership.
P.S. Sign up for our weekly newsletter with stories like this delivered to your inbox every Thursday!
