7 Enneagram 8 Hobbies to Help You Unleash Your Power

The best Enneagram 8 hobbies are those that allow these individuals to challenge themselves and push their own boundaries. Eights approach everything with a serious, determined attitude, and hobbies are no exception, so it’s important to choose them wisely.

In this article, we will explore which hobbies are best suited for Enneagram 8 and explain how they can benefit from each.

So, let’s dive in!

General Overview of the Enneagram Type 8

Enneagram Type 8 is assertive, confident, determined, and willful—a powerful personality that acts as a natural leader and knows how to achieve the desired results.

Eights are known as Challengers for a good reason: they boldly tackle any issue that comes their way and step up to take responsibility when necessary.

All this stems from the Eight’s basic desire to protect themselves by exerting control over their environments. When they are healthy, this is not an issue—their commanding presence can be both inspiring and reassuring. However, on the flip side, they can also be overly controlling, intimidating, confrontational, and downright ruthless.

Whether they are healthy or unhealthy, Eights tend to struggle with vulnerability, coming across as cold and closed off. That’s because, in their eyes, opening up means giving the power to someone else, which Eights find particularly uncomfortable.

As a result, Eights are emotionally independent, rarely relying on others to have their needs met. Instead, they prefer to be the ones fulfilling other people’s needs. An Enneagram 8 child may show this independence early, often preferring to do things on their own without asking for help.

It’s important to note that Eights can exhibit a range of traits, depending on the Enneagram wing they possess. Enneagram 8 with a Seven wing (8w7) is sociable and focused on enjoying life’s pleasures, while Enneagram 8 with a Nine wing (8w9) is less confrontational and more concerned with their community.

7 Enneagram 8 Hobbies & Interests to Pursue

Enneagram 8 hobbies and interests often include activities that challenge them and force them to master new skills or become better than other participants. This aligns with the Challenger’s personality and their need to prove themselves.

With that in mind, here are some of the best hobbies for Enneagram 8:

#1. Exercising

Enneagram Type 8’s determination and inexhaustible stamina pair up well with exercise, and most Eights like to hit the gym or a local jogging trail. Exercise also fulfills their need for control, as it essentially allows them to take charge of their physical appearance - a hobby that Sevens also enjoy.

Above all, Eights enjoy the sense of accomplishment they experience when they reach their exercise goals. However, they don’t stop there—instead, they challenge themselves further and work toward new objectives, like running a marathon or lifting increasingly heavier weights.

#2. Rock/Mountain Climbing

If basic exercise isn’t stimulating enough, rock or mountain climbing certainly will be. This popular Enneagram 8 hobby requires excellent stamina, physical strength, and determination to keep pushing despite the difficulties.

Luckily, Eights typically possess all these traits, and even when they aren’t physically strong enough, they are stubborn to a fault. More than anything, they need to prove their own ability to themselves, which propels them to accomplish unexpected feats at all costs.

#3. Playing Video Games

A type as active as Enneagram 8 may not seem likely to sit and play video games, but in reality, Eights often enjoy this activity. That’s less surprising when we consider that video games come with specific goals and frequently allow the player to exert control over characters and the environment.

In particular, Eights gravitate toward competitive multiplayer games where they can show their prowess and climb to the top of the ladder. This aligns well with their ambitious nature, which feeds on victory and success, even in the gaming domain.

#4. Public Speaking

Though public speaking is usually considered a chore rather than a hobby, Enneagram 8 often practices it for enjoyment. After all, effective public speakers are convincing and persuasive, using the power of words to spread their ideas and influence others.

Furthermore, public speaking is a difficult skill to master, so it’s ideal for ambitious Eights who never turn down a good challenge.

#5. Debating

Public speaking is an excellent Enneagram 8 hobby on its own, but it becomes even more engaging when it’s paired up with debating. In a debate, Eights get an opportunity to test their arguments as well as come up with new convincing ones on the spot.

In addition, the competitive nature of debating is yet another benefit—the goal is to be more persuasive and win. This gives Eights something to strive for, which appeals to their ambitious spirit and need to prove themselves.

#6. Martial Arts

Another Enneagram 8 hobby that may bring out this type’s competitive side is martial arts—after all, this activity literally pits two fighters against each other and forces them to spar.

Furthermore, martial arts appeal to the Eight’s strength and love for physical exercises and challenges. Whether it’s karate, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, or another fighting style, Eights are sure to find themselves looking forward to the training.

Most significantly, martial arts help Eights channel their negative emotions in a healthy, productive way and address their core desire to protect themselves. As a result, Eights are sure to feel more balanced and calm in their daily lives.

#7. Blogging

Through blogging, Eights may learn to connect with their more vulnerable side and share their feelings openly and honestly. That, in turn, may help them build closer relationships with their loved ones and improve their overall mental well-being.

Of course, journaling could have the exact same effect, but Eights might not be as motivated to take it up since it might feel pointless and unproductive.

On the other hand, bloggers can build an audience, set specific goals, influence people, and even monetize their work. All of this is likely to appeal to Eights, whose ambition, once again, may drive them to see whether they can turn a hobby into a real source of income.

How Can the Challengers Choose the Right Hobby?

The Challengers can choose the right hobby by sticking to sports-based activities or anything that invites them to compete against themselves or others.

After all, nothing compares to the sense of accomplishment they gain from defeating an opponent or beating their previous score. This reasserts their belief in their own power and leaves them feeling fulfilled and ready to take on further challenges.

Of course, physical activities aren’t the only way this feeling can be attained. Mentally stimulating hobbies, such as debating, blogging, or public speaking, can be just as fulfilling and engaging.

Still, it’s important for Eights to remember that hobbies are supposed to be relaxing and fun. If their high-intensity activities begin taking too much toll on them mentally or physically, they should take it down a notch or choose a different, less stressful pastime.

3 Tips on How Enneagram Type 8 Can Stick to a Hobby

Enneagram Type 8 rarely has a problem sticking to their decisions, whether they be about hobbies, career paths, or anything else. However, Eights still might need some extra motivation to pursue a hobby consistently and incorporate it into their daily routine.

Here are a few tips to help them succeed:

#1. Set Clear Objectives

Eights work best when they have specific goals to strive for, and when they do, they are basically unstoppable. That’s because leaving anything unfinished is a pet peeve of theirs and, in some ways, proof that they aren’t as capable as they believe.

So, they should take advantage of their goal-oriented mindset and set clear objectives. For instance, if they are blogging, they could challenge themselves to write one post per week or keep updating regularly until they reach a specific number of readers.

However, Eights should keep in mind that vague goals won’t be as effective. Setting an objective to, for example, lift weights until they become stronger is unclear and left open to interpretation. As a result, they can easily convince themselves they’ve succeeded, even after only a few visits to the gym.

#2. Find Healthy Competition

Some hobbies, like martial arts or debating, come with built-in competition that clearly shows Eights what they should work toward and how far they’ve progressed. However, many others don’t have this competitive element, making it more difficult for Eights to stay committed.

Nevertheless, any activity can become a competitive sport with enough effort. For instance, if an Eight is exercising at the gym, they could find another gym-goer with whom they could compare progress. For blogging, they could look up others in the same niche and find ways to write more successful posts.

Still, Eights mustn’t lose sight of why they are pursuing their hobby in the first place. Healthy competition is excellent as long as it’s exactly that—healthy. Once it starts taking away from the enjoyment, it loses all purpose.

#3. Don’t Burn Yourself Out

Eights put so much of themselves into everything they do that they are often left drained and burned out. This is often the case with hobbies, too, though they are supposed to be relaxing and fun. So, it’s important to take it easy; that way, Eights can stick to their hobbies much longer.

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Key Takeaways

Enneagram 8 hobbies are usually activities that take advantage of their competitive spirit and powerful drive. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at some of the key points we discussed in this article:

• The best Enneagram 8 hobbies include exercising, rock or mountain climbing, martial arts, debating, public speaking, blogging, and playing video games.
• Eights should choose hobbies that align with their energetic, ambitious nature and allow them to exercise control over their environment in some ways.
• Enneagram Type 8 can stick to a hobby if they set clear objectives, find healthy competition, and avoid burning themselves out.