Lessen Your Stress, Teacher

I was sitting on one side of a long table, and the rest of the seats were filled with people who held differing but equally strong opinions on a decision we needed to make. The voices and tension were rising. I could feel myself sweating under my blazer, and I wanted to escape. Luckily, at that moment, I remembered a strategy I learned from resilience expert, Dr. Amit Sood. He calls the strategy ZiZo, short for Zoom In Zoom Out. Just like a camera lens, we can adjust our perspective to see a bigger or smaller picture. ZiZo a quick way to shift your perspective and lessen your stress.

Zooming Out

In this meeting, I chose to zoom out and imagine what was happening outside the walls of the conference room. In my mind, I zoomed out to our whole school, our neighborhood, our city, our country, and our world. In the context of the bigger world, I realized how small the issues in this meeting really were. In addition to zooming out geographically, I also tried zooming out in time. I imagined what might be happening a month, a year, or ten years down the road. How much would this really matter? Suddenly, that shift in perspective brought a sense of peace and calm.

I have also used zooming out when dealing with frustrations or annoyances, like minor student behavior in the classroom. Instead of getting tangled up in the moment, I zoom out to gain perspective. I imagine the student visiting me years from now and remembering my patience and gentle correction. When I think about the bigger picture, an eye roll from a student is not such a big deal. When small things start to bother me, I zoom out to the broader concerns of people in my neighborhood, city, nation, and world. By comparison, my small issue is not worth a big investment of energy and attention.

Zooming In

Zooming out is helpful in a difficult meeting or in the midst of a small frustration, but at other times, zooming in is more useful. When my tasks, obligations, and concerns are increasing and I’m feeling overwhelmed, I zoom in. For me, overwhelm and anxiety tend to creep up when I look too far ahead. If I think about everything I need to accomplish this week or this month, my heart starts racing and so do my thoughts. That’s when I zoom in. I focus on what I need to do right now and what is happening around me in this moment. I can also zoom in geographically. When I’ve been tuning into a news channel and the events of the nation or world feel big and scary, when it seems like everything is out of control, I zoom in to the places where I feel a sense of control or influence. I center myself in my own space. When I zoom in and focus on being in my classroom, my office, or my kitchen, and I feel more secure.

There are times when zooming in does help in situations like a difficult meeting. When everyone else is tense and emotionally charged, I zoom way in to my center. I pay attention to my heartbeat and my breathing. I try smiling on the inside. It sounds a little silly, but focusing on my own sense of calm keeps me from getting pulled into someone else’s upset.

Simple Guidance for ZiZo

When the present moment is stressful, zoom out to see the bigger picture.

When faced with a small annoyance, zoom out to gain perspective.

When everything feels overwhelming, zoom in to the present moment.

When faced with a long-term challenge, zoom in to focus on right now.

ZiZo and Resilience

ZiZo is about changing perspectives, and we can always choose the most helpful perspective. We can use a farming analogy to show the value of zooming out. Two women are planting seeds. When asked by a neighbor what they are doing, the young woman answers, “I’m planting seeds.” The older woman answers, “I’m providing healthy food for my family so my children will grow strong.” Like the farmer, you can zoom out to find meaning in your work. What if you zoomed out while grading papers? Instead of just grading, maybe you are providing feedback that will help a student grow into a more powerful communicator. Zooming out can provide meaning to seemingly mundane tasks, and that adds purpose and richness to our lives.

We can also find meaning by zooming in. There is nothing more satisfying than being fully immersed in a pleasurable activity with people you value. Keeping your focus in those moments is good for your well-being and your relationships. A zoomed in moment makes you want to stop and take a snapshot. Memorable moments are usually moments when we are zoomed in.

The important part of zooming in or zooming out is the intentionality. We always have a choice in how we look at a situation or challenge, and we can always choose a different perspective. Things become as big or as small as we allow them to become. When navigating the challenges of a teaching life, zooming in and zooming out can help you stay longer, grow stronger, and keep making ripples.

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