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Blog archive

March 2025

About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025

Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025

Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025

Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025

Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025

Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025

Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025

My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025

The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025

Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025

Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025

Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025

Status - March 20, 2025
03/20/2025

Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025

What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025

Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025

Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025

THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025

Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025

Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025

A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025

Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025

February 2025

Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025

Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025

A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025

Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025

Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025

Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025

Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025

Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025

Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025

LA River Walk
02/27/2025

Message from the President
02/27/2025

Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025

1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025

The Party Line
02/24/2025

Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025

Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025

Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025

Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025

Wind and Fire
02/17/2025

Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025

Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025

Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025

Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025

Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025

Living the Mission
02/05/2025

Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025

Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025

Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025

Villager's Stories
02/05/2025

A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025

Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025

Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025

January 2025

Managing Anxiety

By Bridget Brewster
Posted: 03/28/2025
Tags: bridget brewster, newsletter march 2025

Every now and then, a presentation comes along that feels like it was intended especially for me.  A recent Village event at Washington Park (part of our ongoing series for the public in that location) is a good example... managing anxiety.  Wait a minute.  I don’t have anxiety... I just worry about everything and everyone.

It was refreshing and encouraging to hear anxiety put in perspective.  First, there isn’t just one kind of anxiety, there are at least four types (not including acute disorders such as PTSD) that Alejandro Bulnes, Mental Health Specialist with Independence at Home, explained. There’s generalized anxiety disorder (this is probably where I fall), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder (I think I’ve overcome this one).  While they all have specifically defined characteristics, they all have one thing in common... the brain is in charge. To quote Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, “It’s only a thought and you can change your thought.”

Simply described, anxiety is a feeling of fear or dread. It’s a normal reaction to stress that we all experience, but sometimes it can be paralyzing and lead to poor decision making.  

Symptoms of anxiety can include agitation, restlessness, fatigue, tense muscles, sleep disruption, social distancing, and difficulty concentrating.

Bulne stated, “Negative thoughts, while often perceived as harmful, can play a valuable role in our cognitive processes.”  For example, acting as a defense mechanism preparing us for potential challenges. Cognitive Restructuring suggests one should examine the evidence of our thoughts and replace them with more balanced, rational thinking. Applying this method reduces the effect and makes it easier to focus on solutions.  

Concluding his informative presentation, Bulnes suggested specific breathing patterns and simple vigorous movements. I like to believe that each of us present left at least a little bit less uptight than when we walked through the door dragging our various levels of anxiety along with us.

Alejandro Bulnes, LMFT is a Mental Health Specialist with Insights Program/Independence at Home, A SCAN Community Service. He will be presenting a follow-up session in the near future - look for the announcement soon.

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