I’ve written about how zooming out helps me relax and center myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed with negative thoughts about myself. In other situations, I’ll find myself stuck thinking about negative things that are going on in the world. When that happens, I find it useful to zoom in.
When I zoom in, I usually take a break from the internet and leave my phone somewhere out of reach. This way, I don’t have my positive energy drained by seeing story after story about everything that’s going wrong. I do what I can to make a positive difference, but what good does it do to torture myself by constantly looking at negative stuff that’s beyond my sphere of influence? Instead, I think about my local community, including the people I see on a regular basis, the friendships we’ve developed over time, and the things we’re going to do together soon. Sometimes I zoom all the way in and focus solely on the good things in my own life: the great books I’ve read, progress I’ve made in a certain area, things I’m going to do in my free time, etc. This is a good way to avoid needless negativity in my usual circles and think about positive things in the areas of my life over which I have the most control.
Zooming in allows me to avoid paying attention to things I can’t control; I can then direct that time and energy toward focusing on the important things. Thus, rather than trying to follow a lot of depressing stories that I can’t influence, I can give my attention to a few situations that I can positively impact. Alternatively, by zooming in, I can get away from all the bickering, drama, petty fights, and other pointless wastes of time that aren’t worth considering at all. Lastly, I find that zooming in helps me zoom out later on. Once I’ve taken some time to remind myself of my values and what I want to accomplish in my life, I can look again at the bigger picture and see opportunities to help. Whether I need a break from things that don’t serve me or a reminder of what I consider to be my place in the world, a lot of good comes from zooming in.