Strangers on a Bench EPISODE 72: Just Ask The Trees
Jan 26, 2026
A chance park bench conversation covers a cancer diagnosis, career burnout in private equity, and the therapy of ‘asking’ trees for calm. They talk quitting, coaching and rebuilding identity after high-pressure finance. Surgical recovery, keeping slow practices alive, and how to raise kids with presence also come up.
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Healing Walks Became Monday Ritual
- She began taking long Monday walks after resigning and before a cancer diagnosis, spending hours watching trees instead of working.
- That routine made her feel better during a turbulent period and reframed Mondays as restorative time.
Identity Beyond Job Titles
- She realised identity can be stripped back to simply being present rather than defined by work or achievements.
- Time with family and presence replaced the need for external markers of worth.
Ask Trees To Slow Your Mind
- Try the therapist's exercise: slow your pace and 'ask the trees' when anxious to let subconscious answers surface.
- Lose the shame about unusual practices and lean into what calms you in nature.