Pay Attention...Zoom Out!

O.K., I admit it. I remember a time when someone said ‘I’m so anxious about this; it meant excited. And I am also mindful of Hanscom’s approach to anxiety as ‘a tap on the shoulder to pay attention [to our present].’ And, I also appreciate Morley’s reflection on the awareness of the changing definitions and uses of words and phrases - the generalization, if you will – of terms in our everyday parlance.

Truth be told, as a holistic, integrative therapist, I am mindful that the construct of anxiety is unique for all of us. That which makes me feel anxious, might be a simple aspect of the day to day world for you, and vice versa. So, how do we navigate? How do we understand that which makes us feel anxious, and potentially what to do with it?

Peterson talks about the idea of ‘zooming out.’ Sometimes, when we are feeling anxious, or triggered, we are so focused, as to, in essence, be stuck, in that which we are thinking. Zooming out, allows us to get a broader picture, to potentially see beyond the ‘close up’ view of what is stressful, permitting us to step out of that stress response to a broader state of calm. We might think to ourselves, ‘what, in this moment, is the fear, or worry about?’ We might determine what, if any patterns might arise. Do I feel out of control? Might I be feeling rejected? Am I afraid of failing, or that I might fail? Might I be feeling out of control? Once I can determine the thought source, I can allow the feeling, and explore the thought to determine credibility. In other words, I might feel out of control, it does not mean I am out of control. I might feel rejected, however it does not mean I have been rejected. Teasing out the distinct feelings and thoughts, allows us to ‘zoom out’ as it were, and see out power and control in those stressful situations. It allows us to redirect our thoughts, to remain present and accurate in our presence related to each specific scenario we navigate, allowing us to be more attentive in those situations, and recognize truly stressful moments, as well as uncomfortable ones.

Pay attention… zoom out!