All posts by Deidre

A child of Colorado, Delaware, Oregon, and California – where she obtained her first college degree and became a Nursing Home Administrator – Deidre Edwards now resides in North Carolina. While helping her husband start a video production business and raising their two children, Deidre returned to college to earn her nursing degree. A teacher at heart, she soon applied her nursing skills and knowledge to helping high school students expand their medical career interests through the Health Science Program she established. After retiring from teaching, Deidre wrote her first book – Toolkit for Wellness – as a response to the health issues she witnessed while working. She witnessed both students and staff had struggling with excess weight, diabetes, poor food choices, and stress issues – yet everyone shared the desire for a healthier life. Her easy-to-understand explanations of body functions and how foods break down, clearly show her passion for teaching others. Deidre’s dual passion in learning about habits and habit formation is expressed in her books and regular blog writings so others can learn how to make big improvements through daily small changes. Life took a dramatic turn when Deidre’s husband became confined to bed under Hospice care at home for over two years. With all of her nursing skills on board, and a deep love between them to sweeten the moments, she provided the loving, quality-of-life care he needed. Still the teacher at heart, Deidre realized there was a huge need to light the way for others as they walked the path of caregiving for a loved one. Hence, she wrote Toolkit for Caregivers and Love Lives Here, Toolkit for Caregiver Survival. Together, both books address the caregiving processes, skills, and issues for before, during, and afterward. Deidre continues to be involved with her community through choral singing groups, volunteering for the North Carolina Symphony, Chamber of Commerce, church functions, and activities with friends and family. She also enjoys the time she spends promoting her books and speaking with others about health and caregiving.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, This -n- That

Me Want Cookie!!

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Let me just get it out there: I am a card-carrying member of Cookies Anonymous. Are you with me? 

Trouble is, I hold a more important membership in an anti-inflammatory-is-this-doing-my-body-good-I-am-responsible-for-my-health group, and cookies don’t usually fit it. 

I always defer to the precepts of the responsible group with the long name. 

Maybe you have picked up on a trend over the years at foodtalk4you – I seem to be in search of a good-for-you cookie.  

Well, I may have found one that’s the best of all. 

Huzzah!  

I’ve made these three times now, and can confidently say they are delicious, good for me, and they always receive rave reviews. 

I like this one because it does not rely on a mix – even gluten-free – for the base, which means I have total control over sugar content. These cookies require just a few basic ingredients that are found in most cupboards, so let’s get right to it! 

Almond Flour Oatmeal Cookies 2.0  

Ingredients for the wet mixture:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract 
  • 1 large egg at room temperature 

Ingredients for the dry mixture: 

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Add-ins:

Note: If making a peanut butter version, substitute 1/2 of the butter (1/4 cup) with all natural smooth or chunky peanut butter. Omit the coconut flakes. The chocolate chips may be kept or omitted. 

Instructions:

  • Assemble all ingredients.  
  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease. 
  • Measure dry ingredients (not add-ins) into a bowl, stir to combine, set aside. 
  • With a stand or hand mixer, beat butter until creamy and then add sugars, creaming until fluffy – about 2 minutes. 
  • Beat in vanilla and then the egg. 
  • Beat the mixture of dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. 
  • Beat or stir in the add-ins until combined and evenly distributed throughout the dough. 
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees  

__________

Use a small cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to press/form the dough into small one-inch balls with the palms of your hands. Evenly place on prepared cookie sheets. 

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; rotate pans and continue baking another 10 minutes. If using a convection oven, rotating pans is not needed. 

Cookies are done when they are golden brown around the edges. 

Remove from oven; let cookies rest for 2 – 3 minutes; transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. 

When cool, these freeze very well in quart Zip Lock bags and make a handy package for sharing with friends. 

__________ 

One or two of these little jewels with a morning brew is enough to keep me going for a few hours. 

I can envision adding some activated nuts, soaked and dehydrated, to up the crunch and nutritional benefits. One could switch out the chips to butterscotch, but I don’t know of any health benefits to butterscotch – just saying – dark chocolate has goodness for our bodies. 

ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES 2.0 PRINTABLE DOWNLOAD

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ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES 2.0 PRINTABLE DOWNLOAD

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Let me know if you try Almond Flour Cookies 2.0.

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UPDATE: 

We are putting the finishing touches on the latest in the Toolkit for Caregivers Series, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions and Resilience Building. If you are or have been a caregiver to a loved one, you know about overwhelming and conflicting emotions. There is so much to be revealed about caregiver emotions, how to handle them, and how to build an inner resilience – I can’t wait to publish this fall!  

In health- 

Deidre 

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Off We Go – Into The Wild Blue Yonder!

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I’ve been tuned into staying hydrated even more this summer than in the past. Why is that? Climate change? Getting older? 

True, younger bodies can withstand more abuse, and maybe younger people ignore the symptoms of dehydration.  

Whatever the case, ‘eating the rainbow’ to ensure proper electrolyte levels are maintained, has only partially mitigated foot and leg cramping issues at my house.  

If we are not properly and consistently hydrated, those attention-grabbing cramps will wake us up out of a sound sleep. 

Which leads me to this whole getting-dehydrated-and-suffering-from-jet-lag thing. After flying home on two, 5.5-hour flights heading East, this is foremost on my mind and body. 

Dehydration and jet lag share many of the same signs and symptoms: 

Fatigue and general malaise 

Being sleepy during the day 

Wacky sleep cycles 

Fuzzy/full feeling brain  

Headache 

Tummy issues: Gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea 

Decreased physical activity 

Our bodies need water for smooth functioning of the hormones involved with maintaining our internal clock/circadian rhythm.  

No wonder dehydration and jet lag go together. 

Did you know that the 12% humidity in an airplane is lower than the 25% humidity in the Sahara Desert?   

Coupled with the lower ambient air pressure of airplanes – which causes us to breathe more often to get in enough oxygen – we lose more moisture just breathing on a plane.  

A 1.5 – 2-liter loss of water is average for a 10-hour flight. This is happening even if you are drinking plenty of water.  

Dehydration is a real thing.  

Given that most people are mildly dehydrated most of the time while on the ground, and that we try to curtail drinking much fluid on planes because we don’t want to use those micro-lavatories, it’s easy to see why, even on shorter flights, we feel yucky after flying. 

Most of the food eaten onboard is devoid of water, as well: nuts, pretzels, and crispy cookies.  

What to do? 

After checking for advice from flightfud (they are selling water additives), Cleveland Clinic, John’s Hopkins, and Conde Nast Traveler, I can share these recommendations: 

Preflight: 

Make sure you start out well hydrated – at least 8 glasses of water a day or two in advance of departure – more if you are sweating. 

For Eastbound flights – go to bed earlier a few days prior 

For Westbound flights – stay up later 

In flight: 

Bring your own water bottle. Either fill an empty reusable after the TSA screening or buy a bottle. Consider adding electrolytes yourself or chose a brand with them. 

Sip, don’t guzzle, 8 ounces of water each hour on board, in addition to drinks, from inflight service.  

Limit or omit caffeinated beverages as they encourage water loss. This would mean most sodas and coffee. At the very least, limit to one serving per flight and drink an extra glass of water with it. 

Limit or omit alcoholic beverages. Again, at the very least, limit to one serving per flight and drink an extra glass of water along with it. 

Bring or choose high protein, low fat foods for the flight. Include consuming fruits and salads to increase fluid consumption. 

No apologies needed – you are drinking water and that means using the lavatories. This is good on several levels. Regular body movement decreases the risk of blood clots and stirring around every so often makes a happier passenger. 

Exercise every hour while you are seated. Knee lifts, flexing and extending feet to help stretch the calf muscles, and butt clenches all get the blood flowing to prevent clots. 

After flight: 

If you are arriving at your destination early in the morning, sleep as much as possible onboard: and then try to get through the day without napping and retire early. 

If you are arriving in the late evening, plan to go to bed shorty after arrival. 

A word about sleep aids.  

While some people could sleep on a meat hook, others of us have a much harder time sleeping on a plane. Noise canceling headphones and sleep masks could be a boon to getting in a few winks. 

Do not use prescription sleep aids without the advice of your doctor – especially if you do not know how you’ll respond to one.  

Most prescriptions are geared for 8 hours of sleep, which is probably longer than your flight. You do not want to be awakened in just a few hours and be required to negotiate getting off the plane and through the airport while impaired. 

Once you have arrived at your destination, continue to push fluids to stay hydrated and to facilitate recovery from time changes. 

Flying is a total body challenge, but there is plenty we can do to help the process. 

In health- 

Deidre 

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That, Titles Worth Reading

Pea-Green Boat

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Sailing along … 

Sharing my beautiful appetizer recipe, Basil Boats, a couple of weeks ago, got me to remembering a comforting story from my childhood and that of our children.  

Do you know this one? 

“The owl and the pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat. They took some honey, and plenty of money wrapped up in a five-pound note.” 

The cadence of this poem’s lines introduced me to an appreciation of more sophisticated writing – way above, Little Bo Peep – and opened up an understanding of foreign economies and cultures.

“Mommy, what’s a five-pound note?” 

I naturally read this classic to our children, and we even started to memorize the lines. 

A quick search on Amazon rewarded me with a beautiful The Owl and the Pussy Cat available in a board book version – excellent for unskilled page turners who might also gnaw the edges as they check for flavor. 

I was so happy to find this old friend, that I ordered it for my granddaughter who is just turning one today!  

Happy birthday, sweet one! Grandma can’t wait to read this to you! 

There was another classic recommended- Wynken, Blankenship, and Nod, HERE – that I knew about but was not a part of my childhood. That one was ordered as well for bedtime reading.

While The Very Hungry Caterpillar HERE is at the top of baby and young children’s reading lists these days, a blast-from-the-past can touch minds and hearts as well.  

If your young one’s imagination needs a jump start and their taste buds are curious for new flavor combinations, you can try making your own little Basil Boat like I did using a slice of peach inside with a custom sail message from the owl to his sweetheart.  

Perhaps a few drops of honey on the peach slice could add to the experience…It’s a tasty treat when the story is finished. 

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In health- 

Deidre 

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Something to Celebrate!

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Partay! 

What celebrations were delayed for you during the COVID ‘pause’ to normal life these last two years? One thing a lot of us experienced was missed birthday celebrations.  

Some of us can add attending weddings – or even having weddings – celebrations for births, retirements, graduations, or gatherings for memorial services.  

As you read this, my daughter and I will be celebrating our mutually shared birthday – August 2nd – for the first time in years. The milestone birthdays we each experienced during the heights of the pandemic came and went without much hoopla.  

But this year … This year – we are together, not just in the spirit, but in the flesh at her beautiful home in Hawaii!   

The glory of the breath-taking sights of sunsets, tropical flowers, and the enrapturing sounds of the native birds playing out in the background will all pale, when compared to the sheer joy of just being together on our day. 

Many people select special non-profit organizations to ask their birthday well-wishers to support. I am choosing to share a link to a good book just released by an author friend of mine I met in Self-Publishing School. 

If you know someone between 12 – 18 years of age or over who enjoys fantasy novels, Shaun Griffiths’ Changing Times Series would be a terrific present. 

I had read and reviewed the first book in this series, Shifters Alliance, and had somehow missed the next two – Lost Lands and Shifters Stand – but each book is free-standing in nature, so his current title, Dragon Lands, is easy to follow even though I was not current with the intervening story line.  

Griffiths’ stories are vibrant, complex, yet easy to follow – with richly painted descriptions that play out in the reader’s mind with cinematic clarity.   

I may have ‘aged out’ of this, personally unfamiliar, fantasy drama genre; but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Shaun Griffith’s titles and plan on giving his Changing Times Series to my grandchildren – especially since I am secure in knowing it’s Grandma-approved.   

So, there will be some family celebrating going on in Kona, Hawaii today. My request is for you to check out Shaun Griffiths’ books by using the links provided in this article.  

You know we do not hound our readers with endless sales pitches, but readers who use links we provide for the select items we talk about that are available on Amazon, help in the support of keeping foodtalk4you.com online.  

Thanks, and best wishes to all in health – 

Deidre 

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

The Sounds of Summer

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Where’s your happy place? That perfect spot which can instantly bring on a release of tension and care?

When I was still teaching, I was sitting in a hot tub at a favorite vacation locale, head tilted back on the concrete edge, letting all the deadlines, reviews, test scores, and graduation ceremonies just slip away from me, while the relaxing bubbles beating my back did their job.

Aaaaahhhh …

Simply remembering and anticipating the return of that moment kept me going those last weeks of the semester. Even thinking about it now, brings on immediate relaxation.

Piecing together information about stress management tools for my up-coming book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions and Resilience Building, brought the benefits of both a Guided Grounding exercise and using an Escape Kit to my attention.

What’s happening when we deep dive into a memory for relief?

In initially absorbing an experience and recalling it, we are using all our senses. Each one is engaged to add focus.

Every sense is adding layers of texture and meaning, some mingling with others like the colors of an oil painting at the hand of a skilled artist.

Sit back and close your eyes while you think again of your happy place …

What are you seeing?

Name five things you can see. Ex.: blue sky, beach plane pulling a banner, families splashing around the pool, the couple in the lounge chairs sporting lobster-worthy sunburns, people on their balconies taking in the view.

What are you feeling/sensing?

Name four things you are feeling. Ex.: the warmth of the sun, the sea breeze, the heat and bounce of the water in the hot tub, the texture of the concrete steps.

What are you hearing?

Name three things you are hearing. Ex.: the background chatter of children in the pool, the water bubbling from the jacuzzi, music coming from the poolside DJ.

What are you smelling?

Name two things you are smelling. Ex.: the smell of the chlorinated water, the scent of sunscreen being sprayed on skin.

What are you tasting?

Name one thing you are tasting. Ex.: The last trace of Dove Dark Chocolate.

Driving home from a happy event last night, I could hear the sounds of summer coming through the closed car windows. Was that the night song of cicadas? One group was sounding off and then another group appeared to answer.

Dark of night, moon glow, heat lingering in the air, the pulse of the sounds – I wanted to stay outside for hours just to soak it in.

The cicada conversations sounded different this morning, but I took a short video. Take a moment to experience the sounds of summer with me. Perhaps you would be willing to share some of your moments.

Dive into your five senses right where you are. As you identify what your five senses are experiencing, notice the calming feeling that washes over you.

This is called Guided Grounding and is easy as 5-4-3-2-1.

In health,

Deidre

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, This -n- That

Sunshine, Blue Skies, and Basil Boats!

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Summertime, and the livin’ is easy …

This is the perfect throw-together dish to serve on a hot afternoon, along with a favorite beverage.

Basil Boats. That’s what I call them.

When the basil is just starting to show its splendor, basil boats appear. You know, those perfectly cupped leaves that just beg to be filled with goodness?

So often, I just harvest the basil to quickly turn its fragrant leaves into pesto destined for the ice cube trays for future use.

STOP!

I am finally using these early crop beauties to contain wonderfulness! 

One usually sees basil carefully cut into chiffonade, added to mozzarella cubes or balls, tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and carefully perched onto a slice of French bread. All well and good.

Perfection, in any language.

Well, I’ve reversed the process just a bit and the results are attractive, playful, and totally tasty. 

Also, unlike other hand-held bites, these can be consumed within two or more bites, without spilling mishaps. An easily learned hold on the curved leaves, will result in spillage-free eating.

After carefully rinsing and drying the large, curled basil boat leaves, I prepared the fresh mozzarella by slicing into small squares.

Adding sliced cherry tomatoes to the mozzarella squares, and some olives – I was hoping for black olives, but the Kalamata olives were just fine – I rolled up a few of the smaller basil leaves to thinly slice into chiffonade slices. A spoonful of Robust Olive Oil and balsamic vinegar along with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, and I stirred up the toppings. 

But something was missing … hmmm … the French bread! 

After pan toasting a slice of French bread from the freezer, I sliced it into small squares, and tossed them in some butter and garlic salt.

After tossing the bread squares with the mozzarella and tomato mixture, the boats were filled.

Pairing our ‘Basil Boats’ with a delightful buttery Chardonnay, we feasted on a perfect mid-afternoon snack. 

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In health and still smiling – Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Signed, Sealed, Delivered – It’s Yours!

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On the day this post is published, the ties to my family home of forty-some years will have been severed – except those in our family’s hearts and minds. The memories do not need a physical address – they will be ever strong. 

From all the decisions that went into deciding to move, with all the angst in taking each step that led to today – it’s been an eye-opening, life-changing, love-affirming, exhausting, and soul-challenging process. 

Every corner of a family home has stories to tell. 

First steps. Squeals of laughter. Tears. 

Adventures in blanketed, indoor forts to explorations of vistas unknown in the backyard woods. Hide and seek at night. Lightning bugs.

Saw teeth marks between the brick steps made by a future carpenter. Scraped knuckles made on the side house wall, because the sidewalk was too narrow for Hot Wheels. Rides around the yard with Dad on the lawn mower. 

Two generations of children practicing their cooking skills in the kitchen. Biscuits-on-a-stick. Cookouts. Roller skating in the new garage until it got filled up.

Learning how to use tools, make things, repair things, and take care of things.

Music. Lots of music. Piano, trumpet, French horn, marimba, harp, and singing.

Empty nest.

The sweet anticipation of children returning home for visits. College. Careers. 

Cups of coffee taken on the back porch swing – lots of that.

Mostly love. 

Sometimes flawed love. 

Forgiving love. 

Old love and new love. 

Holding on and letting go.

Thank you, house. 

You were built in love. We watched you grow, too. Every corner, crevasse, crack, squeak – Oh, we know you well. 

With love I let you go, so someone new can build their memories here.

Perhaps there will be music, adventure, great family meals, and cups of coffee taken on the back porch swing. 

But mostly … love.

GOODNIGHT MOON by Eric Whitacre – Sung by Hila Plitmann

Lyrics below

In health –

Deidre

GOODNIGHT MOON LYRICS

In the great green room

There was a telephone

And a red balloon

And a picture of –

The cow jumping over the moon

And there were three little bears sitting on chairs

And two little kittens

And a pair of mittens

And a little toy house

And a young mouse

And a comb and a brush, and a bowl full of mush

And a quiet old lady who was whispering, “hush”

Goodnight moon

Goodnight room

Goodnight cow jumping over the moon

Goodnight light

And the red balloon

Goodnight bears

Goodnight chairs

Goodnight kittens

And goodnight mittens

Goodnight clocks

And goodnight socks

Goodnight little house

Goodnight mouse

Goodnight comb

And goodnight brush

Goodnight nobody

Goodnight mush

And goodnight to the old lady whispering, “hush”

Goodnight stars

Goodnight air

Goodnight noises everywhere

Goodnight

Goodnight

Goodnight noises everywhere

———————

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Spinning Plates

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It gets busier before the completion of most projects. That final push to put the pieces all together, to control all the elements, to get what we desire. 

Then we rest, admiring our work.

Until we pop up to do something else.

What’s the rush?

Absorb your accomplishments; share them with friends and family to enjoy – and rest a spell together.

Am I getting philosophical again? You bet.

There has been another death of a friend who was way too young to just not wake up one morning. The circle of friends struggling with cancer is ever growing. And, I am spending my spare time downsizing and getting rid of STUFF. 

The realization that I have NO spare time on earth, and I will not be taking the STUFF with me, ultimately, is now pressing anew on my mind. 

The only thing we keep is love – not stuff.

I am longing to be on serious vacation mode which will start with the completion of my big change of location and downsizing project. Going to love big, relax big, and travel big then.

But what if I never get there?

There are many options each day with many things requiring our attention. But friends, WE need attention; and that LOVE which will last forever needs to grow stronger as we reach out to others.

The time will come when our arms are empty of loved ones, but our hearts should be FULL of our mutual LOVE. 

Love never dies, but its shape and form changes over time and dimension.

May we not let this day pass without strengthening those love bonds – first, to ourselves and then to others. 

We are enough just the way we are – right now – love and acceptance of self comes first.

Hopefully we can feel the love ties of those gone before us as we turn to remembrances of their love and wisdom. Then we should build up the ties with those around us today.

So, of all the plates that we try to keep spinning each day, find the one labeled LOVE and keep that one spinning brightly.

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In health – 

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes, This -n- That

Life’s Just Peachy – With Rosemary!

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As a respite to finalizing the details of my big move out of the old homestead of over forty years, I am putting the zoom techniques shared last week into practice.  

Being mindful of all that has been accomplished since January, and the decision to embrace the path of new horizons, my sweetheart and I zoomed out to see all of hurdles crossed so far. With one big push to the finish line to move my downsized possessions to storage, we will have only to wait for the new house to be finished.  

Looking at the final dash to the finish line in the next weeks, however, has me zooming in to cope. After establishing a timeline of tasks in my action plan, I felt the need to concentrate on a quick, enjoyable, small activity. 

What else, but bake some muffin bread to enjoy and to give away?  

As the fruit and vegetable offerings change with the season, I just wanted to share this tweak to an old favorite. 

We had picked up a small box of peaches at the farmer’s market, and I wanted to pair the peaches with the blueberries already in the muffin mix.  

A distant memory kept niggling my mind as I starred into the spice cupboard – – – what was that spice/herb that goes with peaches? Hmmm. 

Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Allspice? 

Presto! 

Rosemary! 

After crushing a couple pinches of rosemary into the mortar and pestle, the kitchen was fragrant.  

Yes, I was clearly onto something.  

Coupled with the scent of the two peaches I had just cut up and partially mashed, the resulting aromas were telling me good things were happening. 

The extra fluid from the cup or more of crushed peaches was absorbed by the addition of: 

3 Tbs. Honey 

3 – 4 Tbs. of freshly ground flax seeds  

1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes 

1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to my favorite gluten free blueberry muffin mix. 

The results are scrumptious. If anything, I might increase the rosemary.  

If you are not using the ground flax seeds, use some of the crushed peaches for part of the fluid requirement – in this case, they ask for 3/4 cup of milk. 

My mini loaf pans took 50 minutes to bake. Make sure to check for doneness by using a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the baked loaf. If the tester comes out with dough or crumbs that are too moist, bake a few minutes longer.  

After removing pans from the oven, let cool for two minutes and then tip bread out of the pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. 

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In health – Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

ZOOOOMMM – We Can Be Resilient!

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Pre Covid, only the tech-savvy had a clue what Zoom was. Now, most people who are connected to the internet have attended Zoom meetings, at the very least, and many have learned to organize and host a meeting themselves.

Don’t worry – we are not hosting a Zoom meeting here at foodtalk4you. Whew!

What we’re going to explore today hails back to one of the original meanings of the word – specifically, changing focus between near and far views.

Did you know that the first use of zooming into a closeup was in a scene with Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life? Next time you watch that classic film, notice the scene when he is sitting at the bar, and nothing is making any sense. People do not recognize him; people he knows have turned out totally different than what he remembered.

At the height of his torment, the film makers do a slow, deliberate zoom into his face, capturing his confusion and self-doubt. It’s powerful stuff.

We have the same powers to zoom in on our thinking, capturing every detail of the present moment, or to zoom out, observing a broader scene with a wider perspective.

Researching resilience techniques for my next book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions and Building Resilience, led me to daily thoughts by Amit Sood, MD, in his Year of Healing resource at Resilient.

His post for Day 167, highlights the technique of what he calls ‘ZIZO’ – zooming in and zooming out as a coping technique for unpleasant circumstances.

He suggests that, if the present moment is challenging, zoom out to get a broader view – to think past the present, to a more pleasing time. By thinking about what good things you are going to be doing after present circumstances, you can endure the moment.

Conversely, if the long term view is challenging, zoom in to the present moment to concentrate on the details of now.

Dr. Sood says the goal is not to escape, but to dilute the unpleasant view we have, so we can be the best we can be and save our sanity. Zooming in and out helps us to leverage our ability to change the focus of our thoughts.

We are solely in control of our thoughts – with self-awareness and a little practice, we can recognize our response to situations and leverage our thinking patterns to cope with challenges.

When advising caregivers to find a small project they can control from start to finish, I am – in effect, suggesting they zoom in – away from the long term view of their caregiving circumstances that seem so out of their control.

Likewise, when the present caregiving task is seemingly unbearable, taking a few moments to hold thoughts of the future when the task is over – zooming out – will sustain them.

As a teacher facing topics yet to be covered before the end of school and students who have lost their interest in concentrating, I sustained my own restlessness by imaging sitting in the hot tub at the beach during our first summer vacation trip. A clear case of zooming out.

When broader circumstances begin to overwhelm, I often turn to baking a batch of gluten-free muffins, (Augmented with ground flax and chia seeds), to enjoy at home and to give away. Zooming in helps to set my mind straight.

So, where are you zooming?

Can you see how this technique has helped you in the past?

These very terms have also been used in business. The article in Harvard Business Review, focuses on different management styles that zoom out or zoom in.

Think visionaries who tire with the details of day-to-day vs. people who never rise above the details of today to respond to trends that will affect their future.

Exclusively being one way or the other reveals blind spots. Managers who could shift their focus both ways proved to be the most successful.

So, we must be as well.

Zooming in or out can be an excellent coping skill, but dwelling too long in either focus can limit our ability to understand the entire picture.

Here’s to a therapeutic zoom. If the present moment is too difficult, zoom out. If the long-term is challenging, zoom in.

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In health-

Deidre

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