The concept of productivity snacking involves splitting goals into bite-size chunks that can be slotted between other responsibilities, and research suggests that even tiny bouts of activity can yield significant results. Small wins, in particular, can boost motivation, making individuals more likely to achieve their goals than if they had set tougher targets.
Exercise Snacking: A Practical Approach
The World Health Organisation recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, yet many struggle to meet this threshold. Some research indicates that such ambitious goals can be actively discouraging, leading people to feel that if they cannot reach the recommended dose, they might as well not bother at all.
Sports scientists have therefore explored ways to make fitness regimes more approachable by breaking them down into very short bursts of physical activity, lasting just a few minutes each—a practice sometimes known as exercise snacking. For example, someone working from home might do a few press-ups after an hour of sitting at their desk, or jog on the spot during an ad break while watching TV.
Impressive Results and Low Dropout Rates
A recent review of the literature concludes that these very short bouts of exercise can improve a range of health outcomes, including peak oxygen uptake, resting blood pressure, and insulin levels. There is also new evidence that exercise snacking can enhance cognitive function and mental health. Crucially, these interventions have extremely low dropout rates, of just 12%, with the vast majority of people in each study continuing until the very end. This compares favourably with other fitness programmes, which typically see more than a third of participants falling off the wagon.
Why Breaking Things Down Works
There are several reasons why this approach is effective. In terms of practicality, it is easier to fit short exercises into the between times of the day rather than carving out a full hour. Motivational benefits also play a role: research has shown that dividing things into smaller chunks can make an activity less daunting, reducing procrastination. For someone not already physically fit, the thought of a 30-minute jog or an hour-long aerobics class may feel exhausting, whereas a few minutes of star jumps seems more manageable, making it more likely they will try it.
The progress principle further explains the success: each small win enhances self-efficacy—the belief in one's capacity to enact personal change. By setting more easily achievable targets, individuals experience that confidence boost more often, creating a pleasant buzz that encourages repetition of the behaviour.
Applying Productivity Snacking to Learning and Creativity
The principle can be extended to other spheres, including creativity and learning. While deep concentration has well-known advantages and multitasking can be detrimental, a bite-size approach offers its own cognitive perks. When generating ideas, the brain may benefit from returning to a problem repeatedly, as this allows the issue to incubate between brainstorming sessions. For writers experiencing creative block, returning to a draft in short bursts may be more helpful than prolonged frustration.
In education, short-and-sweet study sessions can help avoid overlearning. If substantial progress is made in a single sitting, benefits may plateau, and further practice does little to cement the material for the future. Psychologists therefore encourage spaced practice, consisting of briefer lessons separated by a suitable time interval. The extra effort involved in remembering what was learned at the last session helps the brain consolidate the knowledge.
Personal Experience with Guitar Practice
One individual found it surprisingly easy to apply this approach to learning the guitar. Over the course of a working day, there were many opportunities to pick up the instrument for a few minutes: between interviews, as a quick morning or afternoon break, or as a small reward for finishing an article. While this does not replace extended sessions, it allows for better use of time by keeping skills fresh with bite-size bursts of activity.
Perhaps most importantly, microdosing musical goals became a pleasure in its own right. Learning an unfamiliar chord or finger-picking a new melody left the individual more energised than scrolling on social media, which might have otherwise filled those odd moments. The sense of achievement from making a little progress became a treat in itself.
Further Reading
- Hyperefficient: Optimise your Brain and Transform the Way You Work by Mithu Storoni (Yellow Kite, £16.99)
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink (Canongate, £10.99)
- Guitar Zero: The Science of Learning to Be Musical by Gary Marcus (Oneworld, £16.99)
