ESFJ
the supportive contributor
ESFJ strengths & weaknesses

ESFJs at their best
ESFJs are often the caretakers of their family or their workplace. They’re usually the person who plans most activities and keeps everyone feeling like they’re a part of the group.
If you’re an ESFJ, you probably think about how you can make others feel special, how you can uphold your family traditions, and how you can ensure that the people within your group get along. ESFJs are the ones who make sure no one misses a birthday, and they’re often the connecting link that holds everyone else together.
Potential development areas for ESFJs
Because they are so concerned about maintaining order and closeness within a group, ESFJs can sometimes push people away. When they worry too much about what will happen without them, ESFJs don’t give other people the chance to prove themselves.
ESFJs also tend to get so wrapped up in other people’s needs that they don’t take care of themselves. This can lead to them feeling unappreciated or stretched too thin.
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ESFJs and stress
ESFJs are traditionalists at heart, and they become stressed when it feels like things are moving or changing too quickly. They also dislike too much alone time and can become stressed if it seems like people are going their separate ways or growing apart.
ESFJs tend to feel very worried and upset if they unintentionally hurt someone’s feelings or forget an important occasion. They may become stressed if they feel underappreciated for the work they do for the good of the group.
If you’re an ESFJ personality type, you can try a few key things to balance these feelings of stress.
- Give people the benefit of the doubt.
- If you feel like the rest of the group is disengaged or doesn’t appreciate your efforts, it may just be that they’re busy or overwhelmed, too.
- Think of yourself and your own needs.
- While you’re a natural caretaker, you need to take care of yourself as well. Practice self-care to balance out your care for others.
- Learn to enjoy alone time.
- Instead of dwelling on the time you spend alone, learn to enjoy having time for your own interests. Use those times to recharge your batteries.
- Understand that other people have different values than you.
- Instead of trying to force traditions on the members of your group, allow them to take their own enjoyment out of the time you spend together. This will ensure a more long-lasting bond than if you try to force things to have meaning.