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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