Worrying Shortens Lifespan and the Seven Emotions in Health Preservation: A Case Study of the Death of a Junior Civil Servant to Understand the Mechanisms of Internal Organ Damage and Its Regulation [i]

Life is full of disappointments, especially for men who strive for career success and family happiness. Unpleasant things are inevitable in work and life[i]. But you shouldn't worry endlessly about these things, because worrying not only doesn't help but also harms your health[i]. The Russian writer Chekhov wrote a short story, "The Death of a Government Clerk"[i]. The story tells of a government clerk who went to the theater and accidentally sneezed, his saliva splashing onto the head of an official in the row in front of him[i]. The clerk was terrified and quickly apologized to the official[i]. The official said nothing[i]. The clerk, unsure if the official had forgiven him, went to apologize again after the theater[i]. The official said, "That's enough, that's fine[i]." This made the clerk even more uneasy[i]. He didn't sleep well that night and went to apologize again the next day[i]. The official, impatient, told him to shut up and leave[i]. The clerk thought to himself, "I've really offended the official now," and tried to apologize again[i]. The minor civil servant, burdened by a single sneeze, ultimately died of worry[i]. While Chekhov's description of the civil servant's death is somewhat exaggerated, it is undeniable that worry can indeed harm health[i]. As early as the 20th century, scholars studied the effects of emotional fluctuations on the human body[i]. Research showed that when patients are depressed, fearful, or irritable, gastric digestion and emptying are significantly delayed, and colonic motility is also significantly inhibited[i]. Statistics show that more than 30% of patients with functional gastrointestinal dysfunction meet the diagnostic criteria for depression, and more than 50% of patients with colonic dysfunction also have depression[i]. Worry is not only a major cause of gastrointestinal diseases, but it can also trigger rheumatism and arthritis[i]. The world-renowned medical authority on arthritis, Rossell Schiller, pointed out that extreme worry is one of the four common causes of arthritis[i]. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death[i]. More than 300,000 people died in World War II, while as many as 2 million died of heart disease during the same period, and about 1 million of them died of heart disease caused by anxiety and stress[i]. No wonder even famous doctors shook their heads and sighed: "Those who are helpless against the erosion of worry are destined to die young[i]." So what should we do to deal with worry-this health killer? Never ignore the negative impact of bad emotions on health. If worry is unavoidable, then we should avoid letting it affect us for too long. You should remind yourself: worry is useless, I must try to solve the problem[i]. Since we know the harm of worry, we should restrain this bad habit in daily life and strive to be open-minded and happy every day[i]. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that people have "seven emotions": joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, and fright[i]. When the "seven emotions" are excessive, appear suddenly or persist for a long time, they can lead to dysfunction of the internal organs and blood, resulting in illness[i]. Joy is happiness and delight, and it is an emotional expression of the heart [i]. Moderate joy is beneficial to physical and mental health [i]. However, excessive and unpredictable joy is not only unhelpful, but it can also disrupt the heart's energy flow, damage the heart's normal function, and cause illness [i]. Anger is rage and resentment, and it has a significant impact on the liver [i]. Excessive anger can easily damage the liver, leading to liver qi stagnation and upward rushing, resulting in symptoms such as flushed face, dizziness, and chest and abdominal fullness; in severe cases, it can cause coma and unconsciousness [i]. Thought is contemplation, and it has a significant impact on the spleen [i]. Excessive contemplation or prolonged thinking without finding a solution can affect the digestive function of the spleen and stomach, resulting in symptoms such as loss of appetite and lethargy [i]. Worry is sorrow, and it has a certain impact on the lungs [i]. Excessive sorrow can lead to impaired qi flow and blocked blood vessels, often resulting in symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath [i]. Fright is fear, terror, or terror, and it has a significant impact on the kidneys [i]. Excessive fear or prolonged exposure to terror can lead to kidney qi deficiency, qi sinking downwards, and symptoms such as incontinence [i]. Abnormal emotional changes first affect the heart, liver, and spleen, and then other organs, causing functional disorders [i]. Therefore, it is important to regulate one's emotions in daily life [i]. "Tranquility and emptiness" is a method for regulating emotions proposed in the *Huangdi Neijing* [i]. It means maintaining a contented and joyful state of mind, free from distractions [i]. Based on the principles of the *Neijing*, Sun Simiao proposed the "Twelve Lesses" health preservation method in *Qianjin Yaofang*: "Less thinking, less contemplation, less desire, less activity, less talking, less laughing, less worry, less joy, less happiness, less anger, less likes, less dislikes [i]." It requires people to avoid excessive emotional activity, avoid extreme fluctuations, and maintain a normal emotional state [i]. It also points out that if one does not follow the "Twelve Lesses" health preservation method, it will become "Twelve Mores," causing harm to life [i].