The Morris County chronicle., 1909-12-28
HOW TO KEEP YOUR Mind OFF. YOUR THOUGHTS
Or. George L. Walton's Valuable Little Hints
on Self-Control and the NeedleSsness of Hav-
ing Nerves and Worrying About Trifles. <

sician's bill on the ground that she
had cured herself and that the doctor
had only told her storiesl
The faithful, long-continued efforts
of the patient are essential to any
thing like a cure, it seems, and sug-
gestion succeeds only as it arouses an
ambition for self-control 1t is pos
sible sometimes to work through the
very negativism which stands in the
way of the direct appeal. Thus, there
was the case of an intense young wo-
man who could not even sit in chair
unless poised as If to fly. Dr.. Walton
told her it was scarcely worth her
while to try to relax, Sor she could
not do it, She left the office with a
stern expression to leturn some
months later completely relaxed just
to show me that was mistaken
A case of nail-biting was cured by
making a wager with the subject that
he could not stop and urging him at
each visit to recommence the practice
on the plea that he was wasting tkne
in trying to quit.
Solitude is dangerous for the wor-
rier because of tendency to a mo-
bid modification of revery. When
the worrier let's the mental wheels
go round without coupling on to
something tangible he is letting an
engine run" Just as the propeller
of a steamboat does better under
water than when racing in the air, SO
the mind will dc better with legiti-
mate load.
AS to the wakeful worrier who
arouses to nervous agitation and want
of courage as the clock strikes one:
This is rather the time and the oc-
casion to reflect that the sunrise, the
cold plunge and the warm coffee will
readjust our mental attitude; that
the doing of the daily duties of. the
morrow, each in turn, with single
mind, will dissipate these vague fore
| bodings."
Discussing "the game Of self-con-
troll DR.. Walton expresses the con-
viction that mo one can achieve men
tai tranquility who cannot learn to
keep his body still-to refrain from
the habit movements called by Pro-
fessor Wenley character leakage.
Among these movements the most ia
miliar are drumming and tapping
with the fingers aud toes, clearing
the throat, and walking restlessly
about. If one can refrain from a sin
gle movement of this kind on the
first day he has begun to learn to
hold the club i"
Under the head "Magnifcation of
the Unessential' Dr. Walton discusses
the folly OF worrying over trifies and
of finding unbearable in others such
character leakage" as we are given
to ourselves. In learning still further
to hold the club" we shall say not,
Il will sit by this man till he grunts.
scratches his ear" or the like, but
II will sit by this man long enough
to discover il he can do single thing
cannot stand. I"
There are various obsessions which
interfere with self-control-suc as
| these:
The obsession always to succeed.
He who plays game merely to win
loses the best part of the game"
The obsession to brook no oppo-
sition.
The obscssion to make no mistake.
The obsession of martyrdom as a
melancholy pleasure
The obsession Of compulsion to set
other people right.
The obsession for pcstponing hap
piness-'W When we change our resi-
uence, recover from this illness or
save certain amount Of money we
shall be thoroughly happy"
There are physical habits to be
considered as to their effects on
nerves-habits such as smoking:
drinking and eating. These may de-
mand regulation. AS to many other
things that fret our days DR.. Walton s
philosophy seems to, bs largely ex-
pressed in the words of young wo-
man whom he quotes: Keep your
mind off your thought. New York
| World