SHIFTING YOUR FOCUS WITH ZOOMING
Think of a camera. You can zoom in for a close-up or you can take a regular picture. 
Using the same idea, you can check in with yourself to see how things are going by zooming in. Ask yourself: “how am I feeling”; “how are things going in my world”; “how am I in my immediate surroundings”. Then, zoom out: How am I in the “big picture” in relation to family members and friends; my community; life in general. Using Zoom In/Zoom Out gives you a quick reading of how things are going from a balanced perspective. Any adjustments need to be made up close? How about in the big picture?
With anxiety, zooming out in particular provides relief. Since anxiety tends to be focused on what’s in your immediate, “up close” attention, choosing to pull back (zoom out) brings perspective and balance. For example, “I’m not the only one who has gone through this”. “I wonder if I could find resources in places I haven’t even thought of”, leading you into problem solving and away from various degrees of anxiety.
With depression as with anxiety, zooming out is very effective. Like anxiety, depression is caught up in the immediate, “my sadness, my disconnect from life”. You can get so focused on “your own” picture (zoomed in), forgetting life outside of your “up close” world offers quite a lot. Pulling back, you begin to re-connect with life seeing the “bigger picture”. For example, “other people have concerns and they’re actively participating in various ways”.
How can you use this tool most effectively?
In what circumstances?
