Why Big Health Goals Need Small Steps: The Science Behind Microlearning and Tiny Habits
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Natalie Stein
CDC Lifestyle Coach, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and expert in nutrition, public health, and healthy lifestyle choices
In this article:
- Many people follow diet plans and lose weight, but weight usually returns when people stop their new eating patterns.
- A common problem with diets is that they take too much effort. It’s hard to turn them into habits that last a long time - so the benefits don’t last, either.
- Microlearning can help prevent information overload and let you learn and remember exactly what you need to. When you get information in small, digestible chunks like you do with Lark, it’s easier to process and use information.
- Lark also uses small steps to help you establish lasting habits. Lark uses the Fogg behavior model that adds motivation and ability to support healthy choices. Microlearning can improve ability by giving you more tools to make desired choices to achieve your goals.
- With microlearning and tiny habits, it’s easier to plan ahead and pave the way for progress.
- Lark can support you 24/7 as you make healthy choices to lose weight and manage blood sugar, blood pressure, or other conditions with or without GLP-1s.
Have you ever lost weight, only to regain it when you returned to your old habits? It’s common, but you can break the pattern. And the good news? It’s all about making things easier, not harder!
Instead of a major overhaul that happens overnight, think of small steps that you take only when you’re ready. When it comes to learning information about your healthy choices, an approach called “microlearning” can prevent information overload. And when it comes to nutrition and physical activity, tiny steps can turn into enormous strides - over time.
Here’s the science behind microlearning and tiny steps, and how they can be more effective than sudden, dramatic changes in the long haul - and that’s what counts for weight management and health. Lark’s a digital coach that’s built on the science of microlearning and tiny steps to help you reach your goals.
What Is Microlearning - And How Does Lark Use It for Weight Loss and Wellness?
“Microlearning” just means learning a little bit at a time instead of trying to learn everything at once. It reduces information overload by giving you less information at once - a manageable amount.
Researchers have described benefits of microlearning In other words, the “cognitive load” you receive is lower. An article in Education Sciences discusses how teachers and students have found that shorter, more pointed lessons can improve information retention. But microlearning isn’t just for university students who need to pass an exam! You can use it in your everyday quest to improve weight management and wellness.
Benefits of Microlearning - and Examples of How Lark Uses Microlearning for Weight Loss and Wellness
Here are some possible benefits of microlearning compared to long lectures or articles when you’re learning about a topic - like weight loss or exercise, for example.
| The Science of Microlearning | Why It Works for Your Brain | How Lark Puts It Into Action |
|---|---|---|
| Easier to Get Started | It is far less daunting to begin a lesson when you know it will only take two minutes, rather than an hour-long commitment. | Lark’s daily check-ins pack valuable health insights into quick chats, making it incredibly easy to just open the app and start. |
| Fewer Distractions | Information overload backfires. Extraneous details distract your brain from the core message, causing you to retain less overall. | When teaching meal planning, Lark focuses on just 1 or 2 components at a time (like non-starchy veggies and lean proteins) so you can easily absorb and apply it. |
| Less Mental Fatigue | Human focus is a finite resource. Short, targeted learning windows keep your brain fresh and prevent mental exhaustion. | Lark gives you a micro-dose of motivation and education before you get tired, preserving your willpower for the day ahead. |
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