If you haven’t had enough sleep, is it still a good idea to get up at your normal time to exercise before work? Or are you better off staying in bed and getting the extra rest? On one hand, an extra hour in bed would be nice. But if I’d skipped the gym, I would have regretted it when I thought about it throughout the day.
Isn’t working out supposed to give you more energy? Or is that more of a long-term effect, and not so much in the short term?
I would sit here and tell you that I’m tired (and subsequently quiet) this morning. But according to Gretchen from The Happiness Project, a person should “fake it till you feel it.” She quotes a man named Samuel Johnson: “To hear complaints is wearisome alike to the wretched and the happy.”
Gretchen says:
One of the critical pieces of information I’ve learned from the Happiness Project is that I should act the way I want to feel. If I want to feel more energetic, I need to act more energetic: pace when I talk on the phone, walk more quickly, put more energy into my voice.
This sounds like magical thinking, but hard science show that the “Fake it ’till you feel it” strategy really works.
The least productive approach is to do what I’ve been doing – dwelling on my feelings of tiredness.
This sounds good in theory, but how feasible is it? Are certain personality types able to follow through better than others? At the least, I think this kind of positive thinking would have to be an acquired skill.
14 Comments
Thinking that you’ll come into money, and expecting that to happen… is magical thinking. Thinking that you’re in a better mood than you actually are, and expecting that to improve your mood… is not magical thinking. That really is how our moods work. They’re feedback loops. Forcing yourself to have a more positive outlook will often help you have a more positive outlook. No doubt. And yes, like anything psychological, it’ll work differently for different people.
There are, though, physical considerations. If you’re sick, or tired, there’s a limit to what you can do to fix that other than to heal, or sleep. It can’t hurt to look at things positively. But at some point, you just need to get some kip.
There is a 24 hour fitness commercial that says “No one’s ever said I wish I hadn’t gone to the gym today.”
Too true. Fake it ’till you feel it works.
Very true, Maiden! Tired or not, I’m glad I didn’t skip the workout.
I’ll go ahead and throw out the good ole’ devil’s advocate. I do enjoy going to the gym, and I try to make it there at least 4 or 5 times a week, but (and this is a big BUT) there are some days, that I work as late as 10:00pm and then don’t get to sleep for a few more hours. After that, there’s no way that going to the gym at 5am is going to make me feel better. I’d say at that point, you’re better getting the extra rest. Sleep is nice.
Josh Boldman
http://www.joshboldman.com
if I haven’t had enough sleep, I am a wreck – so no I wouldn’t go to the gym!
I’m one of those people that just doesn’t feel right if I don’t get to exercise in the morning. (even if I’m exhausted) I regret it all day long and end up beating myself up over it.
On the other hand, sometimes your body does need the extra sleep and you need to honor that.
That’s an interesting idea. I always WANT to feel full of energy, but I’m always tired. I have the “I’ll do the treadmill tomorrow” syndrome. And then, of course, I rarely do. Maybe I should push myself even when I’m not “feeling” it. Hmm.
But um…that would mean I can’t use the “I’m tired, have no energy” excuse to put off doing my dishes until tomorrow.
i have heard this SO many times since the breakup. fake it until you make it. put that smile on even when you’re not feeling it.
for me it didn’t work. maybe for others it’s easy to put personal issues aside, but they’re always looming in the back of my mind making it very hard for any faking to ensue.
I am a morning gym person and I make myself 5 days a week. But there are occasionally times when sleep is more important than the workout. I usually let myself sleep in on the weekend.
I practice yoga 6 days a week – and my day off is always Saturday. The idea in yoga is that by practicing you release stored energy. And I really feel it if I do skip a week day practice. Because I do it at a set time every day (7am) it’s part of my routine & it isn’t even a thought anymore whether or not I’m going to do it.
So yes, fake it until it hurts!
Zandria,
Thanks for the comment on my blog! And your post was very timely for me today so thanks for that too. I do think its true, in a variety of facets of life. And it impacts those around you. If I wallow in my crankiness, my son and husband jump in with me and it is not a pretty scene. Any one of us can start to turn it around by faking in and then the chemistry starts to follow along. It’s just hard to remember in the moment sometimes! Good luck with your fitness goals!
I think positive thinking will get you just about everywhere. But it helps a lot when you feel fit & active
Kind of a what came first type of thing.. the chicken or the egg?
there’s a huge difference between faking emotional moods (”positive thinking”) and ignoring your body’s genuine need for rest. rest and sleep are just as important to your health as fitness and are important components in safe and effective workouts.
if you are cozy in bed and just don’t want to get out to go to the gym, it makes sense to make yourself. but if you only got 3 hours of sleep for the past two nights because of a work project or a sick baby, it’s absolutely better to sleep in and get the rest.
and it’s pointless and counterproductive to feel guilty about skipping the gym when you need rest. the real “positive attitude” in that situation is not to force a tired body to the gym, it’s to recognize that not going to the gym is not some kind of moral failing.