How Worrying Affects Your Health

Worrying is perhaps the most common and the worst of our
mental sins. Worry is like a cancer: It eats in and in. It is
destructive of both body and mind. It is due largely to lack of
self-control and is a symptom of cowardice. Much worry is also
indicative of great selfishness, which most of those afflicted will
deny. Those who worry much are always in poor health, which grows
progressively worse. The form of indigestion accompanied by great
acidity and gas formation is a prolific source of worry, as well as of
other mental and physical troubles. The acidity irritates the nervous
system and the irritation in time causes mental depression.

Confirmed worriers will worry about the weather, the past, the present,
the future, about work and about play, about food, clothing and drink,
about those who are present and those who are absent. Nothing escapes
them and they bring sadness and woe in their wake.

Worrying is slow suicide.

Elbert Hubbard says that our most serious troubles are those that never
happen.

Worrying is a very futile employment, for it never does any good, and it
reacts evilly upon the one who indulges in it, and those with whom he
associates. It is a waste of time and energy. The energy thus used could
be directed into useful channels.

Let those who are afflicted with this bad and annoying habit get into
good physical condition. Then many of the worries will take wing. If
they persist, it would be well to face the matter frankly and honestly,
setting down the advantages of worrying on one side and the
disadvantages on the other. Then take into consideration that not one
thing in a thousand worried about happens, and if something disagreeable
does occur, worrying can not prevent it. Besides a disagreeable
happening now and then will not cause half of the discomfort and trouble
that a disturbed mind does.

"And this too shall pass away," is an ancient saying which it would be
well to remember in conjunction with, "And this will probably never
happen."