Modern living conditions have intensified nerve strain to a degree far in excess of that borne by any former generation of mankind. The heaviest stress comes on our sympathetic or emotional nerves. Our telephones startle us out of attempted isolation either day or might. Driving a car makes one the engineer of a mile-a-minute express, with the most precious freight in the world as passengers. Bright lights extend the working day into the hours of needed rest and sleep. These and a hundred other factors take their toll of nerve energy from a generation that is none too strong at best.
When facing such problems, what can a worker do to preserve his health and energy through a normal life span, or can it be done at all? I believe it can in nearly every case, by giving it thought and attention. If we break down, there is a reason. Our health is determined by two factors, our ancestors and our habits. Obviously, we cannot select the first, so we must attend well to the latter. A wise physician, in making a physical examination, knowing these two factors, can estimate quite closely one's probable expectancy of healthy activity.
Youth, even without careful health habits, may feel more than equal to the task, but nature is an exacting accountant, and no one has ever yet beaten her at her own figures. Our loss of sleep is never quite made up, though it may be in large part if put back within a fortnight. Intense application to work pulls heavily on both physical and nervous energy. This is minimized if we thoroughly enjoy what we are doing. Undue anxiety and all negative emotions exhaust energy quickly. A diabetic patient told me recently that worry or anger affected her disease more than departure from correct diet. A bent spring needs frequent releasing to insure its elasticity, and the more intense our devotion to our task, the more often do we need periods of rest and relaxation. Most of us can go to middle life on almost any kind of program, and some can go still farther without due regard to their health. Very few, however, can reach ripe old age still vigorous and enjoying good health without careful attention to vital health rules and laws. We have been told that as a people we work too hard. This is not written to comfort those without ambition, but to temper the valuable and faithful worker so as to lengthen his days of usefulness.
Not long ago the owner of a large newspaper, a man of powerful build, laughingly remarked to me, "Why, Doctor, if I can get three hours' sleep at night I can stand anything." He is dead now. He should have known better. It is a fact that we cannot violate any of nature's laws without paying the price, for nature's laws are the laws of God, and are inexorable.
What, then, can be done to safeguard the worker's health, so as to keep him so fit that work is a pleasure? First, and most difficult, is to convince the apparently well person that it isn't always "the other fellow" whose health may fail. Second, is to build up a health reserve.
We may explain this reserve as follows: Two men of the same age require a gall bladder operation. Both appear in about the same health. One dies within two or three days, and in two weeks the other is convalescing. Why the difference?—Reserve. The cause—heredity and health habits, the two factors previously mentioned. One thought he didn't need much sleep or physical exercise, or to give much attention to diet,—that he could just work along and leave health matters to others who had the time to waste over trifles.
Here are a few simple health rules of great importance to everybody in these days of hustle and hurry:
Secure all the sleep you need to rest you, preferably eight hours or more at night, but if not then, at any time you can get it.
Get out-of-door exercise for an hour or more daily; it is equivalent to walking two to four miles; and if you perspire a little, so much the better.
Take sun baths at intervals when possible, especially if nervous or at all run down.
Diet carefully, Eat freely of simple, natural foods, avoiding extremes. "Eat a little less and exercise a little more," is a good rule as we advance in years, and be sure to look well to elimination.
Keep as relaxed as your work will permit. Closely confined workers sometimes need to reverse this order for a little time.
When you find your emotions a bit hard to control, or you feel all pent up and nervous, stop mental work and get out of doors in the sun and air, walking or working or playing till it seems good to tackle the unfinished task. You can then do it in less time.
We are to remember that "the health should be as sacredly guarded as the character."—"Fundamentals," p. 147. We may plead lack of time, but count the hours spent by broken workers in wishing for better health, apply these hours to prevention of sickness, and the result will surprise us all.
Washington, D. C.
