How to Connect with Nature, Based On Your Nature

Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, uninspired or apathetic? If so, try one of the simplest, most accessible remedies available: go outside!

We often feel removed from nature, forgetting that we are nature, built from the same elements as the world around us. That's part of why time in our natural habitat feels so nourishing.

From lowering stress hormones to inspiring creativity, the benefits of spending time in nature are vast. Nature-based wellness trends, from forest bathing to float tanks, tap into this idea, though we hardly need therapists or scientists to confirm what we already sense—nature is medicine.

The therapeutic qualities of the natural world are available to us anywhere, at any time, and our personality traits can point us toward the outdoor pastimes that suit us best and support real growth. The suggestions below, aligned with the Enneagram, offer ways to connect with the elements based on your type.

Type One: Connect With Nature Through Found-object Arrangements

Perfectionists, while you're out breathing fresh air, try collecting flowers, pebbles, leaves, sticks or shells to give your mind a break from practicalities. Whether designing a bouquet or forming geometric patterns on the ground with stones, Ones benefit from channeling their gift for concentration and detail into something tangible. Seeing an idea take physical form gives Perfectionists the satisfaction of a finished project.

Therapeutic challenge: Turn off your inner critic, or if that feels impossible, simply stop listening to it. As you arrange your materials, practice seeing every imperfection, including any broken or wilted pieces, as exactly right.

Type Two: Connect With Nature Through Gardening

Givers are nurturing by nature, and gardening gives that instinct somewhere to go. It benefits the mind and body alike. Health studies find that gardening eases stress and boosts immunity. Gardening also gives Twos, who tend to be deeply patient, something tangible to show for their effort. Sharing the harvest with friends and neighbors lets them receive the rewards of their labor even as they give to others.

Therapeutic challenge: Notice how nature takes care of you while you're outside. Let the sun, the wind or a light rain settle on your skin, and take in the abundance the land provides.

Type Three: Connect With Nature Through Outdoor fitness

Outdoor activities like long-distance biking or trail running keep an on-the-go Achiever physically fit and mentally sharp. Setting specific goals, whether that's a distance or a personal best time, motivates Threes as they build healthy habits. Meeting those goals also satisfies their need to feel accomplished, which feeds the sense of self-worth Achievers value.

Therapeutic challenge: Experiment with exercising purely for the sake of it, without measuring or keeping score. 

Type Four: Connect With Nature Through Creativity

Individualists naturally appreciate the earth's beauty and tend to channel whatever authentic thoughts and emotions the environment stirs up. That creative response might take the form of a painting, a poem, musical composition or an experiment with natural dyes or herbal tinctures. Fours rarely lack creative potential; this is simply an invitation to get outside and let the world do some of the inspiring.

Therapeutic challenge: Choose projects that draw you closer to the world around you, rather than reinforce a sense of separation from others. 

Type Five: Connect With Nature Through Skilled Observation

Fives connect best to nature in ways that deepen their understanding of the world, and the more nuanced the activity, the better. Foraging for mushrooms or wild berries, identifying birds or tracking other wildlife are all pursuits that naturally appeal to Investigators. Whatever the activity, they benefit from solo time outdoors that engages both the mind and the senses.

Therapeutic challenge: Focus on experiencing the outer world, quieting your mental chatter along the way. Simply observe and enjoy nature without overanalyzing it.

Type Six: Connect With Nature Through Grounded Contemplation

Nature nourishes Skeptics when it creates a feeling of security. Simple pleasures, like walking barefoot on soft grass or watching cloud formations from a hammock, offer the supportive environment Sixes need to relax and feel the connectedness they yearn for.. Since Sixes are social by nature, they also benefit from sharing these moments with people they trust.

Therapeutic challenge: Let your thoughts and worries pass by, like each step or each cloud, and keep your mind on the present moment.

Type Seven: Connect With Nature Through Wilderness Therapy

Enthusiasts thrive on new experiences, though nature doesn't need to be extreme to be beneficial. Sevens can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the great outdoors with self-led wilderness excursions, such as building a fire and preparing a meal outside, hiking along a riverbed, sleeping under the stars or learning to sail. Since Sevens seek variety and excitement, they also make fun, open-minded companions on other people's spontaneous adventures.

Therapeutic challenge: Sit, eat or walk with yourself in silence, and notice what comes up when there are no distractions.

Type Eight: Connect With Nature Through Outdoor Adventures

High-intensity activities like mountain biking, rock climbing or rafting give Challengers a physical goal to chase as they release stored energy. Since Eights are drawn to stoking their already powerful inner fire, they thrive on pastimes that call for mastering a skill or working through a physical challenge. They're just as happy navigating new terrain alone as they are leading others through it.

Therapeutic challenge: Let nature be bigger than you. You can climb a mountain, but you can't conquer it. Accept your own vulnerability and enjoy the process of being tested.

Type Nine: Connect With Nature Through Immersion in the Elements

Peacemakers are drawn to the harmony and beauty of the natural world. Tuning into their physical experience in nature helps them find the nourishment they're intrinsically seeking. We tend to associate relaxation with water, but Nines can experiment with immersing themselves in any element, from sunbathing and moon-bathing to mud baths or a walk in the rain. Whatever you choose, stay present with the sensations as they arise.

Therapeutic challenge: Prioritize your own peace, physical and emotional, in surroundings that feel calm and restorative.

The Common Ground 

Nature heals. Spending time in the elements in a way that suits our personality builds a connection to the outdoors that benefits the mind and body and lifts the spirit. Listening to the earth's silent lessons, filtered through the Enneagram, encourages inner growth and opens us to the peace we're all looking for, harmony between our inner and outer worlds.