ES
HEALTHY LIFESTYL
By Daneen Skube RAISE YOUR HAND if you wish you could get a Costco card that would improve your relation- ships at work and at home. Here are six power tools that can make an immediate difference. 1. Be influential. Next ime you’re in a frustrating conversation, stop talking and start listening to what he other person wants and feels. Next, stop presenting your point of view and repeat back in your own words the other person’s point of view. Will Rogers observed, “In order to be qualified to change my opinion, you must first demonstrate you understand it.” 2. Change word choice. Never again use the word “you” at the beginning of a sentence; instead, substitute the word “I.” People will cease to feel blamed by your language and become interested in helping you solve your problem. If others believe you see them as the problem, you won’t be able to get the help you deserve. 3. Get grumpy. Keep an anger journal for a week. Include every little thing that irritates you. Examine the themes of what makes you grumpy. Pay attention to what you end up doing repeat- edly that works out badly for you. You have the right to stop behaviors that get you into frustrat- ing situations, but you have to see them first. 4. Be specific. How often have you had to listen to your spouse or co-worker give you criti- cal, yet vague, feedback—e.g., they think you are controlling, insensitive or rude. But what exact behavior do they want? Ask them to give you an example of what they want and skip the com- plaining. And when you give feedback, make sure you skip the complaints and do the same. 5. Get uncomfortable. The best-kept secret on the planet is the nuclear power of using dis- comfort to get you to change. Next time you are anxious, hurt or mad, internally dive into the sen- sation of the negative emotions. As you feel uncomfortable, notice how these emotions can fuel creative thinking about your problem. If you are willing to feel negative emotions, you will see solutions to habitual problems. 6. Redefine selfishness. There’s a place inside you that has the wisdom to know what is in your best interest. I call this place “deep selfish- ness.” You could also call it your highest good, gut instinct or inner coach. Life is not a game where for me to win you have to lose. Listen to the voice in you that is deeply selfish and you might dis- cover the best course of action for you is also the most beneficial for everyone around you. Whoever said, “Those who think money can’t buy happiness just don’t know where to shop,” must have known about these interper- sonal tools. Put your new tools in your Costco cart and enjoy! C Daneen Skube, Ph.D., is the director of Inter- personal Edge ( www.interpersonaledge.com), an executive coaching, training and counseling firm. She welcomes readers questions on how to get control of “pesky people problems.” E-mail her at interpersonaledge@comcast.net. The interpersonal edge

IMAGE ZOO

BACK to basics “STRETCHSITTING” is a way to undo the damage caused by years of hunching in a chair. Developed by Esther Gokhale, author of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back (http://egwellness. com), stretchsitting lengthens the spine, decompressing discs and allows them to heal. It can also improve circulation and nerve function around the spine. Gokhale’s instructions:

■ Attach a cushion to
your chair so that it hits
mid-back, below the
shoulder blades.
■ Scoot your bottom all the
way back.
■ Lean forward from the
hips, and tilt your ribcage
forward, like you are doing
a mini-crunch.

January

■ Hold the chair armrests and, while still tilted forward, press against them to get a gentle stretch in your lower back.

■ Keeping the stretch, lean
back from your hips and
stick your mid-back on to
the cushion.

Thyroid
Awareness Month

■ Come out of the mini-crunch and relax completely, letting the cushion keep you in mild traction.

■ Roll each shoulder back and rest your hands close in to your body.

THE THYROID IS a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, located just above the collarbone and in front of the trachea (windpipe). It produces two hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, controlling how the body breaks down food—for energy use now or stored for later use. These hormones tell organs how fast or slow they should work, and also regulate the consumption of oxygen and the production of heat.

■ Angle your chin down
slightly, lengthening the
back of your neck.

—T. Foster Jones

Common thyroid disorders

According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), an estimated 27 million Americans are experiencing a thyroid disorder, with more than half of those undiagnosed.

Hyperthyroidism results from an overactive thyroid gland producing too much thyroid hormone, which speeds up one’s metabolism. Symptoms can

NOVEMBER 2010 ;e Costco Connection 67 JANUARY 1 include excessive sweating, nervousness, rapid heart rate, weight loss, decreased concentration, fatigue and hot temperature intolerance.

This hormone imbalance occurs in about 1 percent of all women, who get hyperthyroidism more often than men. Radioactive iodine is the most widely recommended permanent treatment.

Hypothyroidism results from an underactive thyroid gland producing too little thyroid hormone. The body’s metabolism slows, consumes less oxygen and produces less body heat. Symptoms can include weight gain, hair loss, irritability, muscle cramps, memory loss and cold temperature intolerance.

It is more common in women than men, and its incidence increases with age. Treatment most often involves thyroid hormone replacement medications.

Thyroid nodules are small lumps in the thyroid gland. These are common; almost half of the population will have tiny thyroid nodules at some point in their lives. Most nodules are not cancerous, but people who have them should seek medical attention to rule out cancer.