How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Chapter 23 explores the importance of combating worry by getting adequate rest. Carnegie argues that fatigue exacerbates anxiety; therefore, resting before tiredness sets in is crucial. He claims that by establishing a routine that incorporates rest, readers will be more resistant to worry.

Experiments have proved that physical work can be performed more efficiently when rest breaks are taken. For example, US Army tests showed that soldiers perform better and have greater stamina if they rest for “ten minutes out of every hour” (248). The same point was demonstrated by Frederick Taylor when he worked as a management engineer for a steel company. Taylor believed that employees should be able to load 47 tons of pig iron a day without exhaustion. However, he noted that the men were only loading 12.5 tons and were worn out by the afternoon. Taylor chose one of the workers and told him to pick up the pig iron, walk for a short distance, and then rest. In all, the worker rested 34 minutes out of every hour. By doing so, he loaded 47 tons in a day. Although he rested more, he achieved four times more than the other workers.

During World War II, Winston Churchill worked 16 hours a day, despite his relatively advanced age.