in reply to your question:
neither the general law nor the lodge interferes to neutralise the effect of strain upon the disciple's physical energies when caused by undue exertion or want of regularity, except in certain cases. hence the theosophist is bound to see that his arrangement of hours for sleep, work and recreation are properly arranged and adjusted, as he has no right to so live as to break himself down, and thus deprive the cause he works for of a useful and necessary instrument.
your friend's energies have been disarranged and somewhat exhausted by irregularities as to rest and recreation, since work has been hard and required rest—whether asleep or awake—has not been had. this causes excitement, which will (or has) react in many different ways in the system and upon the organs. it causes mental excitement which again raises other disturbance. he, like anyone else, should take measures so as to insure regularity as to rest, so that what work he does shall be better and the present excitement subside in the system. it is not wise to remain up late50 unless for good purposes, and it is not that to merely remain with others to late hours when nothing good or necessary can be accomplished. besides other reasons, that is a good one.
excitement is heat; if heat be applied to heat, more is produced. coolness must be applied so as to create an equilibrium. this applies in that case, and the establishment of regularity in the matter of rest is the application of coolness. second, the various exciting and "wrongful" acts or thoughts of others are heat; coolness is to be produced by discharging the mind of those and ceasing to refer to them in words, otherwise the engendered heat will continue. it is needless to refer to reasons resting on the points of conduct and example, for those anyone is capable of finding and applying.
as there is no hurry, it is easy to divest the mind of anxiety and the irritation arising from hurry. again, comparison of one's own work or ways of doing things better than others is wrong and also productive of the heat above spoken of.
