Enneagram and Gratitude: How to Boost Your Thankfulness

Exploring the connection between the Enneagram and gratitude can help you understand why some people easily notice and appreciate both simple joys and major life blessings, whereas others do not.

Better yet, recognizing your core type and Enneagram wing’s unique behavioral patterns can help you cultivate a deeper appreciation for life, thereby supporting your mental health and personal growth.

This article will cover the benefits of practicing gratitude, discuss how each personality type relates to it, and explain how you can become more grateful based on your Enneagram test results. Let’s begin!

3 Benefits of Practicing Gratitude

The three main benefits of practicing gratitude are improved relationships, enhanced sleep quality, and reduced risk of depression. As such, gratitude, or the emotion and practice of appreciation for the positive things in life, can boost your social, emotional, and physical well-being.

Let’s examine these benefits in greater depth:

• Improved relationships. Practicing gratitude can significantly strengthen your bonds with others by making them feel seen and appreciated.
• Enhanced sleep quality. The act of being grateful fosters relaxation, reduces sleep disturbances, and improves sleep duration. As such, it’s no surprise that a study by the University of Auckland affiliated researchers suggests that gratitude interventions can improve subjective sleep quality.
• Reduced risk of depression. Researchers from the University of New England found a strong connection between gratitude and lower depression levels. Simply put, this practice promotes pleasant emotions and a positive mindset by making you pay more attention to all the good things happening to you and around you.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to explore the Enneagram and gratitude.

Enneagram and Gratitude: How Each Personality Type Shows It

Here’s an overview of the connection between the Enneagram and gratitude, including personalized tips for each personality type on cultivating an appreciation for the good things in life:

Enneagram 1

The Enneagram Type 1 is conscientious, idealistic, and principled. Ones are also known as Perfectionists because they sincerely desire to improve all aspects of their lives and set high standards for both themselves and others.

However, their tendency to scan their environment for opportunities for improvement can make it challenging for them to feel and express gratitude. After all, their attention naturally gravitates toward flaws, making it harder to notice and appreciate what is already good and doesn’t need to be improved.

By practicing gratitude, Enneagram Ones can let go of the need for constant improvement and perfection. This can aid tremendously in silencing their inner critic and fostering an appreciation for the small joys of life.

Here are some tips for cultivating gratitude as an Enneagram One:

• Notice small positive moments and celebrate daily successes, such as random acts of kindness.
• Write a list of “good enough” things worthy of appreciation to move past perfectionism.
• Extend gratitude toward yourself by acknowledging your integrity, effort, and other positive qualities.

Enneagram 2

Kind, nurturing, and generous, the Enneagram Type 2 is driven by a desire to be loved and accepted. Gratitude comes fairly easily for this personality type. This isn’t surprising, given that University of Szczecin researchers found that it correlates with agreeableness and emotional intelligence, both of which Twos possess in abundance.

However, Twos may struggle to cultivate gratitude when others fail to acknowledge their efforts. Their self-worth is tied to other people’s perception of them, so feeling unappreciated can lead to emotional blind spots that prevent them from seeing the positive things around them and within themselves.

To overcome such blind spots and effectively practice gratitude, Enneagram Twos should:

• Keep a gratitude journal and include themselves in each entry to cultivate self-validation and boost their self-esteem.
• Practice receiving without immediately giving back to fully take it in, instead of shifting their focus to other people.
• Notice other people’s support and appreciation for them in subtle forms; a smile, for example, can be a silent expression of thankfulness.

Enneagram 3

Driven by a desire for achievement and validation, the Enneagram Type 3 is adaptable, success-oriented, and energetic.

Gratitude can be challenging for Threes, as it requires slowing down and savoring the moment, which can feel like a loss of momentum. After all, they’re eager to take action and move toward their goals, so they may perceive this as a waste of time.

People with this Enneagram test result can create space for gratitude in their daily lives by:

• Keeping a progress journal to celebrate the things they learn or enjoy along the way, instead of focusing purely on results
• Practicing mindfulness during simple daily activities, such as eating, to ground themselves in the present and fully experience the moment
• Paying more attention to small but meaningful moments throughout the day, such as inspiring conversations with colleagues or quiet breaks between tight deadlines

Enneagram 4

The Enneagram Type 4 is highly introspective and emotional. They seek to understand themselves, embrace their authenticity, and find deeper meaning in life. However, their focus on their inner life and search for the extraordinary can make gratitude difficult for them, as they usually find the mundane, everyday existence boring and uninspiring.

As a result, rather than appreciating the present, many Fours live in a constant state of longing for something special, becoming absorbed by the feeling that something is missing. And even though they strive to embody their authentic selves, they can’t help but compare themselves to others, which only makes it even harder for them to cultivate gratitude.

If this sounds relatable, these tips can help you practice gratitude as an Enneagram Four:

• Seek beauty in the ordinary by paying attention to pleasant sounds, eye-catching colors, etc.
• Avoid comparing yourself to others; instead, focus on the things you value about yourself.
• Make a list of simple life pleasures (your favorite drinks, playlists, etc.) you can indulge in whenever you need to remind yourself that there’s joy in everyday life.

Enneagram 5

The Enneagram Type 5 is inquisitive, analytical, and private. Fives are highly cerebral, and there are two main reasons why they may struggle with gratitude. The first one is related to their emotionally detached nature; these individuals see emotions as something uncomfortable or unnecessary. Gratitude, too, is an emotion, so they may feel innately disconnected from it.

Moreover, Fives usually have rich inner worlds; because their attention is focused inward, they may simply fail to notice the things worthy of appreciation around them.

To embrace gratitude, Enneagram Fives should:

• Regularly acknowledge their own competencies and strengths to cultivate self-appreciation.
• Incorporate grounding techniques into their daily routine to reconnect with the present moment and the physical world.
• Treat the practice of gratitude as an information-gathering exercise by shifting their focus outward and writing down 3–5 things they feel grateful for each day, which can train their brain to scan for positive things around them.

Enneagram 6

Loyal and reliable, the Enneagram Type 6 has a strong desire for security. As such, Sixes aim to be prepared for anything that could potentially go wrong. Although this can help them feel safer in a world they see as dangerous and unpredictable, their hypervigilance can also make gratitude challenging for them; they simply can’t relax enough to notice the good things in life.

Sixes are constantly on the lookout for flaws, dangers, and future risks, and their minds tend to jump to worst-case scenarios rather than simply cherish good moments. By practicing gratitude, they can shift from fear to trust and develop a more grounded, objective perspective on life.

Below are some helpful tips for cultivating gratitude as an Enneagram Six:

• Build a strong support network you can rely on to feel safer (and don’t forget to let them know how much you appreciate them!).
• Acknowledge and cherish small moments that make you feel secure throughout the day, such as predictable morning or evening routines.
• Keep a journal where you note down things that work out in your favor to not only appreciate them but also prove to yourself that life isn’t as dangerous or unpredictable as you may think.

Enneagram 7

Enthusiastic, curious, and spontaneous, the Enneagram Type 7 craves freedom and new experiences. While their innate optimism helps them appreciate life, gratitude doesn’t always come easily to Sevens because they’re constantly looking for the next exciting thing rather than appreciating the here and now.

Savoring the moment can be challenging for Sevens because they don’t want to slow down; being still can make them deeply uncomfortable. Plus, their proneness to the fear of missing out (FOMO) can lead them to believe that choosing one option will prevent them from experiencing something even more exciting, making it even harder to feel truly grateful.

Sevens can learn to appreciate what they already have by:

• Engaging in mindfulness exercises to shift their attention to the current moment rather than the future
• Consciously stopping to enjoy small pleasures of life, be it a beautiful sunset or a steaming cup of hot cocoa
• Realizing that committing to a single option doesn’t take away their joy; if anything, it allows them to fully experience the present moment instead of chasing possibilities.

Enneagram 8

The Enneagram Type 8 is decisive, assertive, and independent. Because Eightsthrive on action, they rarely, if ever, slow down enough to appreciate what they already have. However, when it comes to the Enneagram and gratitude, this type’s main challenge is expressing their thankfulness to others.

Emotions make Eights feel vulnerable, and in some cases, so does gratitude. They often think that being thankful to others undermines their own contributions or makes them seem dependent on them. This, paired with the fact that action comes more naturally to them than reflection, can make them reluctant to acknowledge other people’s contributions.

To embrace gratitude, Enneagram Eights should:

• Make intentional pauses to reflect on what’s going well in their lives.
• Take mental notes or keep a journal where they record their personal achievements alongside others’ contributions.
• Express gratitude to others, even in small ways, such as genuinely saying, “Thanks for your support,” or leaving a thank-you card on their desk.

Enneagram 9

The Enneagram Type 9 is easygoing, adaptable, and calm. Driven by a desire for inner and outer peace and harmony, Nines usually appreciate small joys; they feel truly blessed when their lives are free of chaos and conflict.

However, there’s one thing that can make this Enneagram type struggle with gratitude: passivity. Nines can easily become accustomed to a simple, comfortable, and peaceful life to the point of taking it for granted.

Instead of actively feeling grateful for what they have, they may become passive, letting days pass them by without acknowledging the people and experiences that enrich their lives. Similarly, they may also overlook their own contributions to creating a peaceful existence.

To cultivate gratitude, Nines should remind themselves to:

• Pause to savor ordinary moments throughout the day.
• Express appreciation to those who make their lives more peaceful.
• Acknowledge their own efforts in creating a harmonious life, which can also help them improve their self-worth.

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Key Takeaways

Now that we’ve discussed the Enneagram and gratitude at length, it’s time to summarize the key things you should take away from this article:

• Enneagram Types Two and Nine usually find it easiest to feel and express gratitude.
• Ones and Sixes are most likely to struggle with gratitude because their attention naturally gravitates toward more negative aspects of life.
• Types Three, Seven, and Eight often fail to appreciate the good things around them because it requires slowing down, while Fours and Fives overlook them because they tend to be preoccupied with their inner worlds and experiences.