8 Engaging Winter Wellness Challenge Ideas to Kickstart the New Year

8 Engaging Winter Wellness Challenge Ideas to Kickstart the New Year

As winter settles in and the days grow shorter, it’s easy for employees to feel less motivated and more sluggish. But the winter months can also be an ideal time to promote healthy habits that support employees’ physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.  

By implementing engaging wellness challenges, you not only help your team stay on track with their New Year’s goals, but also build a workplace culture that prioritizes health and productivity year-round. Supporting wellness during winter can boost morale, increase engagement, and reduce turnover—all while making the season a bit brighter. Here are 6 creative winter wellness challenge ideas that employees will enjoy and find rewarding, all designed to keep them motivated, healthy, and focused through the season’s ups and downs.

Winter Wellness Challenge Ideas

  1. 100 Mile Challenge: Encourage employees to stay active even when temperatures drop by challenging them to walk 100 miles in 4 weeks! This challenge, part of Wellworks For You's "Flagship Challenges," promotes consistent physical activity, helping participants build sustainable habits that improve both physical and mental well-being. Using the Wellworks For You platform, participants can track their progress, connect with teammates, and celebrate milestones along the way. Harvard Health notes that regular walking can improve mood and reduce stress, especially during colder months. Whether participating indoors or outdoors, this challenge helps employees beat the winter blues while promoting physical activity.  
  1. Challenge Your Palate: Support healthy eating habits during the winter months with the "Challenge Your Palate" Flagship Challenge. Each week, participants are tasked with trying new healthy eating habits—from eating more vegetables to cooking at home. Studies show that small dietary changes can have lasting effects on overall health and energy levels, especially in winter when comfort foods are tempting.  
  1. Financial Refresh Challenge: Kick off the year with a financial wellness challenge that helps employees rebound from holiday spending. Use Wellworks For You’s Financial Wellness Challenge to guide participants through setting savings goals, practicing “no-spend” days, and budgeting for the year ahead. According to Forbes, employees with financial wellness support feel less stress and are more productive at work. Empower your team to start the year with smart financial habits that will help alleviate residual holiday spending strain.
  1. Digital Detox Challenge: During the colder months, screen time can creep up as people spend more time indoors. Help employees unplug with the Wellworks For You "Digital Detox" challenge, encouraging daily breaks from screens. Whether it’s reading a book, meditating, or spending quality time with family, this four-week challenge promotes a healthy balance between screen time and other activities. Research from JAMA Psychiatry suggests that reducing screen time improves mental health, reduces stress, and boosts sleep quality—just what’s needed in winter.
  1. Winter Hydration Challenge: Winter often leads to decreased water intake, as cooler temperatures reduce thirst. Encourage employees to stay hydrated with our "Don’t Wait – Hydrate!" challenge, where participants aim to implement various tips and tricks to increase their daily water intake. Research from the American College of Nutrition indicates that proper hydration supports mental alertness and energy, making it essential for productivity. Wellworks For You’s platform allows users to track their water intake and our Challenge Dashboard offers reminders to keep hydration top of mind during this challenge.
  1. Mind Matters Challenge: Our "Mind Matters" Flagship Challenge encourages employees to focus on mental well-being by practicing mindfulness and other mental health habits over four weeks. From daily gratitude journaling to stress-management exercises, this challenge helps participants improve mental resilience and combat seasonal depression. As part of Wellworks For You’s many mental wellness offerings, Mind Matters can provide impactful resources and daily habit tracking that make it easy for employees to prioritize their mental health.
  1. Winter Getaway Walking Challenge: Give employees a refreshing mental escape from the cold by launching a “virtual vacation” walking challenge! Choose a warm, sunny destination like Jamaica, California, or Australia, and invite employees to “walk” there by logging their steps each day on the Challenge Dashboard. With Wellworks For You’s platform, participants can track their journey on a virtual map, follow their progress toward the destination, and stay motivated through friendly competition. A live leaderboard and weekly check-ins encourage ongoing engagement, making it easy for everyone to stay active, connected, and energized throughout the winter months.
  1. Better Sleep Challenge. Quality sleep is essential for overall health and productivity. Encourage your team to adopt healthier sleep habits with Wellworks’ “Better Sleep Challenge.” This program promotes habits like aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep each night, reducing caffeine intake, establishing a consistent bedtime routine, and limiting screen time before bed. Studies from The Sleep Foundation show that better sleep enhances focus, mood, and productivity—making this challenge an ideal way to keep your workforce energized and balanced throughout the winter season.

Ready to Get Started?

Creating impactful wellness challenges starts with clear structure and organization. If you’re ready to support your employees with a wellness program that drives results, reach out to your Wellworks For You coordinator to plan and schedule your next challenge. Don’t have a program yet? Contact us today to see how we can help you implement a wellness strategy that inspires and energizes your workforce all year long.

Wellworks Contributor
Wellworks Contributor

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