The Overview Effect
Why zooming out really is healing, plus a collection of delights for May
I am pushing my toddler in the park swing, higher and higher, until the swing is nearly parallel to the ground.
3-2-1 blast-off! Mama, look at me! Mama see? I’m an astronaut—zoomy zoom!
This precise thought used to scare the socks off me as a kid1 — the belief that maybe the swing chains really would come off the swing set and I would be propelled into outer space.
But not her. This kid would love to go to outer space.
She would touch the moon if she could.
There is this thing that can happen to you, if you’re an astronaut. It’s called the Overview Effect2.
What it means is that, when you see the earth from outer space, your cognition shifts.
You see the world differently. You are overwhelmed by its beauty. You transcend yourself. You feel more connected to all of humanity and to the Earth, itself. You begin to live your life differently.
What it means is that, once you finally step away from the stories that have bound you—once you zoom out far enough—you are finally able to take in the bigger picture.
My family makes fun of me frequently for my lack of spatial awareness.
My brain just cannot access any kind of big picture thinking in terms of where I am, where my house is located, and where things are in relation to me.
If you asked me what freeway I took to get to your house, it is very likely I would stare at you blankly.
If you asked me, when standing inside my house, if I can understand spatially what room is directly below me, I would struggle to see the layout in my mind.
And if you asked me to parallel park my minivan, I would likely laugh you out of the room.3
This is how it goes: Every time I must drive somewhere new, I pull up Google Maps. I zoom in, then zoom in further, then zoom in even further until I am so close I can see the individual bricks on the buildings and the words on the street signs. I zoom in until I can perceive whether or not this place has a parking lot, or where the entrance is, or what side roads to take.
But maybe this is my problem.
Maybe what I really need to do is zoom out.
Then zoom out further. And then further.
And then further.
For every year of my life that I turn my face towards the work of healing, instead of away—for every therapy session I cry through and every journal I fill and every book I read and every bleary late-night conversation I push through—I can feel it.
The zooming out. All my edges, shifting outward. My mind wrapping itself around the big picture, more fully.
Slowly, moments of abundance are beginning to crowd out moments of deprivation. I am more likely to grasp for hope than despair. Joy feels more accessible, and survival mode is no longer my default.
It’s my very own overview effect, palpable and real.
I can tell you, now, where I have come from.
I can tell you, now, where I am going.
I am hiking with my five-year-old at Minnehaha Falls. She prances ahead of me, dancing to some song playing only in her head, carefree limbs outstretched.
“Oh look, Mom! A map! Let’s figure out where we are!”
She scans the map carefully, her index finger tracing the faded, bronzed trails until it finds the raised star by the falls.
“Here, we are!” she says.
“Right here, Mama. We’re right here.”
May Delights
Currently reading:
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim — Riveting and mysterious novel, but not scary. Compassionate and moving, with themes on love, race, disability, and family.
Practicing Presence by Joy Prouty — I am not (read: NOT) a photographer, so when I stumbled upon this book, I was skeptical at first. And yet, this book goes far beyond mere photography, and touches on the science of memory, presence, and thriving instead of merely surviving. It was a true balm for my soul.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Tawwab — Sometimes you just need some good pointers on how to take care of yourself. Nedra accomplishes that in a confident, loving manner.
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeannette Winterson — I love a good coming-of-age memoir and this one checks all the boxes for me.
Group by Christie Tate — Her book BFF blew me out of the water and I’m just starting this one. So, so good.
A few things I’ve been loving lately:
This daily facial sunscreen from TJ’s is a great Supergoop dupe.
Behold, my new favorite shorts. (High-rise, mid-thigh, light wash, finished seam, *and* they hold their shape? SIGN ME UP).
Target started carrying Papier products and I am so, so happy. Also, I am hopping on the writing-on-legal-pads-train with these pretty ones, also from Target.
A few things the kids have been loving lately:
We are getting our crafting on this summer. My oldest’s best friend taught her how to do beginning embroidery (!!) and I got this kit for her since she’s so into it. Also, this bead set for making friendship bracelets.
The Adventures of Benny and Watch (The original Boxcar Children Early Readers!) is such a fantastic series. Often the local library will have a bunch, but Amazon and Thriftbooks carry them also. My oldest loves reading these.
This little cork boat we’re going to “set sail” on the Creek by our house (it has a string to reel it back in).
A few good eats:
I made this Black Forest cake for my husband’s birthday this year. Sooo good.
These easy chicken quesadillas are quick and freezer-friendly for nights we have sports.
A fresh, berry-filled summer salad.
On repeat: These turkey burgers and this pasta salad.
Watching + listening:
Joe convinced me to watch Top Gun: Maverick with him and I actually was super into it!
I love Aubrey Gordon (co-host of Maintenance Phase and author of two books) so obviously I watched her and Jeanie Finlay’s feature film, Your Fat Friend. What a vulnerable, essential cultural conversation we all need to be having right now. Every single body is a good body. Period.
A new season of Couples Therapy comes out May 31, and while I know it is a very specific kind of person who enjoys such a show, I will tell you that I am that very specific kind of person.
Some good writing:
’s piece on when his family found themselves had me weeping. What a beautiful testament to one family’s willingness to pivot and work hard to meet every family member’s needs. introduced me to this heart-stopping piece of flash nonfiction from Brevity Magazine. I am still thinking about it weeks later. shows us all how to use form masterfully in this piece, where she weaves together her memories of her senior year of high school with what it’s like to walk her daughter through the same season. ’s exceptional whiteout poem that makes me want to yell HECK YES right out loud. Every single post from the amazing friendship guru Nina Badzin over at
.ICYMI:
Stay tuned for some flash non-fiction and an essay on mothers as lifeboats.
AND Part-Time Poets’ thirteenth issue comes out tomorrow, where I share a poem about the people who mother us.
That’s it, friends!
I’d love to hear what is helping you “zoom out” these days. What is helping you know where you’ve come from, and where you’re going?
If something resonated with you here…
Would you consider sharing, re-stacking, or sending to a friend?
These words are my labor of love, and your recommendation is how this community grows.
Feature photo by NASA on Unsplash
I absolutely blame my brother for this, who told me if I wasn’t careful, I would swing so high I would propel myself to the moon and never come back (lol siblings, amiright).
I first learned of this concept in Marjolijn van Heemstra’s In Light-Years There’s No Hurry: Cosmic Perspectives on Everyday Life, which I found fascinating.
The first time I took my driver’s test, I failed because the instructor told me my “parallel park looked more like a perpendicular park.” A for effort, I guess.
Beautiful writing! I also have the same disease with spatial awareness. People ask me whether I think a piece of furniture will fit in a room or if we should move something and I just look at them blankly. It’s some kind of disability 😂
Beautiful writing and photos!!