The term ‘decision fatigue ’is not very common and most people are unaware of it. But we all go through it.
According to Wikipedia,“ decision fatigue refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision making.”
In other words, it just means an individual gets tired when he or she has to constantly make decisions. This high frequency of activity is burdening and leads to making poorer or even careless decisions.
Some examples where prominent people have combatted this phenomenon include Mark Zuckerberg, who wears the same grey T-shirt everyday. One less decision allows more brain power to dedicate to other, more important tasks.
So how does this relate to fitness?
It still applies to how you take care of yourself. Preplanning, organizing, and staying ahead in a fitness plan reduces the number of decisions you need to make. Therefore, you can dedicate more energy to execution of a fitness plan.
Choosing what to eat throughout the day
Choosing when to workout.
Choosing which exercise to do or which machine to use.
Choosing what to wear
The number of decisions you need to make throughout the day add up. You’ll be exhausted pretty quickly. So it’s not uncommon that by the end of the day, you can be so tired that you just don’t want to workout or you just don’t want to think about what you’re eating. Stay on track does take effort.
Of course preventing decision fatigue requires planning. No, you don’t have to plan everything (because even that sounds exhausting), but thinking ahead to reduce the number of decisions to make does help.
For example, planning your meals a day in advance, including snacks, can take out several decisions out of your day for tomorrow. That’s especially helpful if you work from home and you have a habit of browsing through your kitchen for snacks.
Planning a week’s worth of workouts. Alternate workouts and rest days. Blocking out time in your calendar so you’re not disturbed for that hour. Treat your workouts like meetings that you cannot afford to miss. Fewer decisions to make once it’s scheduled.
Now, part of the planning is to also have contingencies. Let’s say the weather changes, preventing your ability to do your usual jog in the park. Plan ahead for an alternative cardio workout for that day. Perhaps a HIIT class you can take online.
Try planning out a week and notice the difference in your concentration in your fitness routine. More energy you spend in thinking ahead, less energy spent thinking last minute.
About the author:
Nelson Toriano is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor, certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He has more than 14 years of experience which includes boot camp, weight lifting, dance, and yoga. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his family and being outdoors with his two Labradors.
