ONE THING AT A TIME.

Mt Benger Mail, 15 April 1914, Page 4

ONE THING AT A TIME.

Many people noi.ee that alter eating j a hearty meal they ate quite unabie to do anything in the way of work lor a considerable tune, 'lhey find diifiI culty in pulling their thoughts together, concentration is imposdble, and for :an hour t ,r &o they are sensible of actual j discomfort. Now this- is because they ■ have been trying to force tieir bodies !to do two tilings at once. They have, by eating, given the stomach and its nerves some work to do, and the necessary blood supply is not sufficient for both. One or the other goes short, and either the food is not properly digested or the work done at that time by the brain is of an interior quality. Fot this reason men and wunen who are engaged in mental work of any kind should not eat their principal meal in the middle of the day, unless (which is very rarely the case) they; can count upon a good two hours of liberty. They will do better to take a very light meal (not, however, a cup of tea and) a bun) at midday, and to pi stpone the heavier meal to the evening, when the stomach will be free for its work of digestion. In the same way it is a mistake to indulge in violent exercise immediately after a meal. A stroll at no great pace will aid digestion, but anything more strenuous will impede it. Exercise also is inadvisable except in the gentlest form while mental labor is being performed. Many men will tell you that they can think things out and do much f)f their work better in the open air. ' rhis may be perfectly true, but it will >e found that their exercise consists in ; gentle walking that makes no great de- 1 nand on any of the muscles. Were '< :hey to indulge in any strenuous ef- ' orts they would assuredly find tliey ' vere not able to carry on satisfactorily s complicated mental processes. This, fs ' lecause the blood supply would be en- t raged with the muscles instead of with ' v he brain, and it cannot be in two P daces at one and the same time. If i his be borne in mind food will be found t odo more good, indigestion wiil be le>ss v requent, and work will be more easily to s well a* better performed. e