12 Fun FREE Wellbeing Challenges for the Workplace!
Employee wellbeing is more crucial now than ever, with work-related mental health issues costing the UK economy a staggering £57.4 billion annually.
A figure that has nearly doubled in recent years.
Fortunately, enhancing employee wellbeing doesn’t have to involve costly programs or complex initiatives.
Simple, enjoyable wellbeing challenges for work can significantly boost morale, health, and productivity in your workplace.
This blog explores five practical and fun wellbeing challenges that you can implement immediately without financial investment.
Contents
5 Fun and Free Wellbeing Challenges for Work (Video)
Why Wellbeing Challenges for Work Matter
12 Fun FREE Wellbeing Challenges for the Workplace!
Making the Most of Wellbeing Challenges for Work
5 Fun and Free Wellbeing Challenges for Work (Video)
Why Wellbeing Challenges for Work Matter
Wellbeing challenges are a valuable addition in contributing to a supportive, productive, and resilient workplace culture.
When employees’ wellbeing is neglected, burnout increases, motivation declines, and overall team morale suffers.
Implementing wellbeing challenges can counteract these issues, leading to a more engaged, healthier, and happier workforce.
12 Fun FREE Wellbeing Challenges for the Workplace!
These 12 wellbeing challenges are a great place for organisations to get started with improving the health and wellbeing of their workforce.
1. The 7-Day Wellness Challenge
The 7-Day Wellness Challenge is our very own unique and effective wellbeing challenge for work. To get started with this challenge in your workplace you need to encourage teams to adopt positive daily habits for seven consecutive days. These habits include:
- Avoiding alcohol for seven days: This helps improve sleep and mental clarity.
- No phone for the first hour after waking: Encourages mindfulness and reduces stress.
- Daily positive affirmations: Boosts self-esteem and motivation.
- Gratitude practice each day: Write down or verbally share gratitude to enhance emotional wellbeing.
- 30 minutes of daily movement: Anything from a gentle walk to a more intense workout counts.
- 15 minutes of reading: Promotes mental stimulation and stress reduction.
- Drinking two litres of water daily: Hydration is key to health and energy.
This challenge promotes overall wellbeing, and even partial completion creates significant positive changes.
To simplify the process, we’ve created a free downloadable tick-box tracker to help your team stay organised and motivated.
2. The 5,000 Steps Challenge
Long hours of sitting can negatively impact health, leading to increased risk of chronic diseases, lower energy, and higher stress levels.
The average office worker can spend as much as 9 hours a day sitting down.
The 5000 Steps Challenge encourages your team to incorporate at least 5,000 steps into their daily routine:
- Replace standard meetings with walking meetings.
- Adopt the “One-Minute Rule” by standing up and moving briefly every hour.
- Take regular breaks, lunchtime strolls, and prefer stairs over elevators.
Adding friendly competition by tracking steps with fitness apps or pedometers boosts motivation and makes this wellbeing challenge even more enjoyable.
3. The Compliment Challenge
Positive feedback has immense power to lift spirits and improve workplace relationships.
The Compliment Challenge asks each team member to provide at least one sincere compliment daily to a colleague:
- Specific compliments, such as, “You did an incredible job handling that difficult client,” can dramatically improve morale.
- Compliments create an atmosphere of mutual appreciation and enhance overall job satisfaction.
Regular recognition and appreciation cultivate a positive workplace environment, motivating everyone to contribute their best effort consistently.
4. The Active Commuting Challenge
Turning the daily commute into an active journey can significantly enhance mental and physical wellbeing.
Encourage team members to make small, manageable changes:
- Get off public transport a stop earlier and walk the remaining distance.
- Park further from the office to increase daily steps.
- Cycle or jog to work if possible.
- Remote workers can start their day with a brief walk outdoors to simulate a commute.
Research consistently shows that daily physical activity enhances mood, reduces stress, and increases productivity, setting a positive tone for the workday ahead.
5. The Reflection Challenge
Workdays often become a blur of meetings and tasks, leaving employees overwhelmed and unable to acknowledge their successes or areas needing improvement.
The Reflection Challenge offers a structured approach:
Each employee spends three minutes at the end of the day reflecting on:
- What went well today? Celebrating even small wins enhances motivation.
- What challenges were faced? Recognising issues supports personal growth.
- What can be anticipated positively tomorrow? Establishing something to look forward to maintains optimism.
We offer a free End-of-Day Reflection Sheet to make this easy for your team to implement, ensuring clarity, reduced stress, and ongoing development.
6. Nature Connection Challenge
Encourage employees to spend at least 10 minutes outdoors daily, enjoying a short walk in the park, sitting near a green space, or even gardening.
Nature exposure significantly reduces stress levels, improves mood, and enhances cognitive functions.
Consider creating a shared photo space where employees post pictures from their nature breaks to motivate others.
7. Random Acts of Kindness Challenge
This challenge invites each team member to perform at least one unexpected act of kindness each day.
It could involve leaving thoughtful notes, assisting colleagues with tasks, bringing in snacks, or offering genuine compliments.
Regular acts of kindness foster trust, enhance team cohesion, and boost individual happiness.
Check out our free kindness generator below!
8. Laughter Challenge
Implement daily “laugh breaks” where team members share funny videos, memes, or personal funny stories in a designated group chat or during meetings.
Laughter reduces stress, releases endorphins, and strengthens social connections, contributing significantly to workplace wellbeing and morale.
9. Desk Declutter Challenge
A messy desk can lead to a messy mind!
Challenge team members to spend ten minutes each day or week organising their workspace.
Removing clutter not only creates a visually pleasing environment but also reduces stress, enhances productivity, and improves overall mental clarity.
Celebrate progress by sharing before-and-after photos to encourage participation and motivation.
10. Micro-Learning Challenge
Invite employees to spend just ten minutes a day learning something entirely new and unrelated to their daily tasks.
They could:
- Watch a TED talk
- Listen to an educational podcast
- Read an interesting article.
This practice enhances cognitive flexibility, keeps the mind sharp, and boosts personal development.
11. The Soundtrack Challenge
Music is good for the soul and a great way to bring people together.
Encourage employees to create individual “feel-good” playlists and rotate playing them in communal areas or share them digitally each week.
Music is scientifically proven to improve mood, increase motivation, and foster connection and camaraderie among colleagues, making the work environment more enjoyable and relaxed.
12. The No Complaints Challenge
Nobody likes a continuous complainer.
Set aside a designated period, one full workday or even an entire week, where team members commit to avoiding complaints.
Instead, they are encouraged to practice reframing situations positively and focusing on solutions.
Instead of saying things like “I have to do this” team members can reframe it to “I get to do this”.
This challenge fosters resilience, optimism, and a more positive workplace atmosphere.
Making the Most of Wellbeing Challenges for Work
Successfully implementing wellbeing challenges involves clear communication, consistent support from leadership, and a team-oriented approach.
Leaders should actively encourage participation, recognise efforts publicly, and create an environment where these challenges naturally integrate into workplace culture.
Check in with the team regularly to evaluate the effectiveness of each challenge and gather feedback.
Encouraging open dialogue ensures these wellbeing initiatives continually improve and resonate with your organisation’s needs.
At Loving Life, we help companies support their employees with our employee wellbeing services.
To see how we can help to empower, motivate, and support your workplace get in touch!
Tyler Lowe – Health & Wellbeing Speaker
