Take, for example, the rather common habit of worrying over
the trivial things of life. Certainly the nervous energy spent in this way
cannot be used in doing useful work, but must be counted as so much loss
to the body. One who would use his nervous system to the best advantage
must find some way of preventing waste of this kind.(108)
Undue excitement, as well as pleasurable dissipations, also tend toward
nervous exhaustion. And while the fact is recognized that pleasurable
activities supply a necessary mental exercise, the limit of healthful
endurance must be watched and _excesses of all kinds avoided_. Intense
emotional states are found to be exhausting in the extreme; and the
suppression of such undesirable feelings as anger, fear, jealousy, and
resentment are of immense value in the hygiene of the nervous system.
*The Habit of Self-control.*--Much of the needless waste of nervous energy,
including that of worrying over trivial matters, may be prevented through
the exercise of self-control. From the standpoint of the nervous system,
the present age differs from the past mainly in supplying a greater number
and variety of nerve stimuli. Self-control means the ability to suppress
activities that would result from undesirable stimuli and to direct the
bodily activities into channels that are profitable.
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