New research shows that we are more disconnected from nature than ever before. This is despite the fact that spending time outdoors is one of the healthiest and smartest things we can do for ourselves. But what exactly are the effects nature has on us and our health? This is what Marianne Sleire Lundblad explores in this book, using her background as a psychologist, and basing the answers she finds around the four elements, earth, fire, water and air.

How can a handful of soil or five minutes outside in the rain work as a happy pill? What happens to our immune system when we walk in the forest, and why does an ice plunge help with depression? How can time in front of a fire give us a deeper sense of calm, and what happens to us when we touch the soft fur of an animal?

Perhaps many of the answers we are looking for to feel better - mentally, physically and socially – lie right outside our door.