by Oli Anderson, Transformational Coach for Realness
Focus on the Trees: A Simple Trick to Escape Frustration, Anxiety, and Depression
Humans gonna human and there are certain things that we all have in common – one of those things is that life will FRUSTRATE, TRIGGER or ACTIVATE us from time-to-time (because we all have ‘juice’ inside us and life likes to show us what it tastes like by ‘squeezing’ us):
Some people lose their cool when their football team loses, others when someone cuts in front of them in a queue. Me? I’m a pretty chill person 88.8% of the time- except in two main cases:
- When I encounter spiritual bullsh*ttery – the kind that disguises ego-driven avoidance, distortion, and projection as some kind of enlightened truth (seriously, check out my YouTube channel for more on this).
- When I’m stuck in traffic—specifically in the UK’s finest towns and cities, where the ‘rules of the road’ seem to be more like vague suggestions rather than actual laws.
The first situation? Well, I can’t control how people distort reality, but I can keep cutting through the nonsense by staying committed to truth – questioning it, living it, and repeating the process endlessly until I find bliss and become infinitely patient (can’t wait for that to happen).
The second situation? That’s where I’ve discovered a simple yet powerful trick: focus on the trees.
I know what you’re thinking – Eww…this guy is some kind of hippy. But bear with me….this isn’t about pretending traffic doesn’t exist or forcing myself into some artificial ‘Zen’ state. It’s about shifting focus to something REAL, something constant, something that doesn’t care about my little irritations or the chaos around me.
And, as it turns out, science backs this up – let’s explore it in a bit more detail:

Why Focusing on the Trees Works (and Why You Should Try It Too)
At first, this was just a random thing I started doing to calm myself down in traffic but – after experiencing how effective it was – I started looking into why it works. Turns out, the answer is rooted (pun totally not intended) in some pretty solid neuroscience and psychology:
1. Nature Literally Lowers Stress and Anxiety
It’s no secret that nature has a calming effect on the human mind:
Studies have shown that exposure to natural environments – even just ‘looking’ at trees – can lower levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. This helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system which allows to us chill out (parasympathetic is also known as the “rest and digest” side of the nervous system).
A study published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine found that walking in a forest (or even just viewing greenery) significantly reduced cortisol levels compared to walking in an urban environment. Another study in Scientific Reports found that people who spent at least 120 minutes a week in nature reported higher levels of well-being and lower stress.
So, as it turns out, when I “focus on the trees” instead of the frustrating reality of UK traffic, I’m not just distracting myself – I’m actively reducing my stress response. Turns out the trees are a visual anchor that pulls me out of an anxious, irritated state and into something more peaceful and grounded. In other words, whether I’m a hippy or not, they can and do make me more REAL.
2. The Power of Mindfulness: Redirecting Attention
There are a lot of misconceptions about mindfulness – almost to the extent that some people end up using it to try and FORCE themselves to be calm (which is mad when you think about it….calmness is FLOW, not force).
A better way to look at it (in my humble opinion) is that mindfulness is about choosing where to place your attention. Anxiety, frustration, and even depression thrive when we get caught in repetitive negative thought loops – when we focus on what’s wrong, unfair, or uncertain.
This is unfortunate because what we focus on grows and so if we keep CHOOSING to focus on our problems that’s exactly what we’re going to get more of (which is why I always guide my coaching clients into training themselves to FOCUS on the REAL ‘stuff’ in their lives).
Essentially, mindfulness teaches us that we can shift focus at any moment:
Instead of fixating on the chaos of traffic (or any other stressful situation like spiritual bullsh*ttery), I choose to focus on something neutral and real – the sway of the trees, the way the leaves move in the wind, the sheer fact that these silent giants exist no matter how I feel and will still exist (many of them) once I’m done-and-dusted here on Planet Earth.
And guess what? It turns out this is actually a ‘thing’ and this technique – often called attentional control – has been shown in numerous studies to help reduce rumination, which is a key factor in anxiety and depression.
The short-version: When we deliberately shift our attention from UNREAL thoughts to something present and REAL, we break the cycle of stress and get flowing again.
3. Gratitude and Perspective: A Reality Check
Another amazing shift in perspective that often has misconceptions around it is GRATITUDE:
Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is fine when it’s not – it’s about recognising what’s still good, what’s still real, even when things feel frustrating or overwhelming.
When I “focus on the trees”, I’m not just using them as a distraction….I’m genuinely appreciating them—acknowledging that while the implementation of human-made systems (like roads and traffic rules) can be messy and unpredictable (just like human beings), nature just is (even though it can appear to be messy and unpredicatble through the lens of human interpretations and our value judgements).
Nature doesn’t ‘try’; it doesn’t ‘force’; it’s not in a ‘hurry’ -it just exists, steady and unbothered by whatever nonsense is happening around it.
This shift in perspective is powerful becuase it reminds me that not everything in life is about control and force. Some things are frustrating, yes. Some things don’t make sense, true. But outside of that, there’s always something real and steady to anchor myself to because what’s real is always real.

Does This Work Beyond Traffic?
Absolutely – that’s just the main example of frustration in my own life that I’ve noticed.
This mindful-hippy-focus-on-the-trees approach isn’t just for dealing with road rage – it applies to any situation where frustration, anxiety, or stress threaten to take over.
For example:
- Feeling overwhelmed at work? Take a moment to look out the window at the sky, the trees, the clouds moving. Let yourself see them, rather than just glance at them.
- Struggling with anxiety? Instead of getting lost in your thoughts, pick something real in your environment – your breath, the ground beneath your feet, the texture of your clothes – and focus on it fully.
- Dealing with a difficult person? Instead of getting caught up in their energy, ground yourself in something outside the interaction – something constant, something that reminds you of the bigger picture.
The key here isn’t avoidance – it’s presence (always the opposite of ego resistance and distortion which causes so many of the problems in our lives). Focusing on the trees (or whatever else) isn’t about ignoring reality; it’s about choosing which part of reality to engage with in any given moment so that you can feel more connected to it and become more REAL.
The Science of Reality: Why It Matters
Here’s where things get even more interesting:
As I’ve literally been screaming at anybody who’ll listen for years now, a major contributor to frustration, anxiety, and depression is a disconnect from reality – either getting stuck in our thoughts about the past or future, or getting lost in misperceptions and interpretations rather than what’s actually happening.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), one of the most evidence-based psychological approaches, often helps people by challenging distorted thoughts and bringing them back to the here and now.
Similarly, meditation and mindfulness practices – backed by countless studies now – help rewire the brain for greater emotional regulation by training attention and awareness.
The simple act of focusing on something real (like a tree, a breath, or the sensation of movement) engages the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking and emotional control, while reducing activity in the amygdala, the brain’s stress centre. This serves to calm your nervous system and slow down those unhelpful and unreal thoughts so you can shift FOCUS back onto the real ‘stuff’.
Short version: When you focus on something real, you get real and when you get real, your mind finds balance. It’s a FACT.
Try It Yourself: A Simple Practice
If this resonates with you then maybe you’re a bit of a ‘hippy’ too – try this simple exercise the next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed:
- Pause: Notice the thoughts or emotions pulling you into frustration or anxiety.
- Look around: Find something natural and REAL – a tree, the sky, a plant, even a small patch of grass.
- Focus on it fully: Observe its details, its movement, its texture. Let yourself just be with it.
- Breathe: Let go of the thoughts and let the present moment ground you.
Final Thoughts: Stay Real
“Focusing on the trees” might sound simple, but that’s exactly why it works. In a world filled with distractions, noise, and mental clutter, returning to something real – something beyond the chaos – can be a game-changer.
So whether it’s traffic, stress, anxiety, or just the general insanity of life, remember this: the trees don’t care about your frustration. They’re just there, being real. Let that remind you that you are too.
What’s real is always real, after all.
Stay real out there,
