Sleep is extremely important to health and wellness. And, in the modern world, many people fall well short of the sleep they need to be at their best. Getting enough rest in our 24/7 world seems harder than ever, partly because there’s so much to do.

However, by skilfully integrating technology, work and responsibilities, we can learn to prioritise what we do each day, rest smarter and get better sleep, not simply more of it.

Plan a nightly sleep milestone goal, such as seven hours, meeting this goal may mean re-organising your schedule to get to bed earlier each night.  

Challenge: Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night for the week.

One easy step many people can take toward improved health is drinking more water. These days, many of us don’t drink enough fluids during the day – and if we do drink something, it often has calories in it, and plenty of sugar at the same time.

Setting a target of drinking 8 glasses of water during a day is an easy activity. Water is readily available, comes along with no calories, and can help improve health in a variety of ways.

Challenge: Drink at least 8 glasses (500ml) of water a day for the week.  

Isn’t it interesting how hearing a particular song can bring back a special memory or make you feel happy, calm, or pumped up? Listening to music has been shown to provide numerous benefits for people of all ages. Research suggests that music can reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance cognitive functions, such as memory and attention.

Overall, music can have a beneficial effect on our lifestyle, mental health, and well-being particularly in reducing stress and anxiety. Whether we listen to our favourite songs, create playlists for different moods, or explore new genres, music can be a valuable tool for managing our emotions and improving our mental health, sleep quality, and improving memory. 

Challenge: Create a feel-good playlist or listen to a minimum of 30 minutes of music day

Fitness endeavours are intimidating for many people and for various reasons. But walking is something that feels approachable for anyone unless they have a physical disability. So, consider using a walking goal as one of the fitness components of this challenge.

10k is the recommended daily step count for adults but set a limit that works for you.

Challenge: Activities are varied for this one, bike to work or swim or get in those steps or hit the gym. Pick a target and an activity or mix it up, doesn’t matter as long as you are moving! 

Everyone deserves some “me time”. It’s the only way to recharge your batteries so that you can be at your best for those around you. We spend much of or days expending energy for the benefit of others, whether its our boss, our families or friends.

At the end of the day tough, the most important person in your life should be you. So, plan to take some much needed “me time” this week.

Challenge: Spend 60 minutes this week enjoying some “me time”. Read a book, listen to some music, watch something you’ve been wanting to see. Doesn’t need to be all at once, you can do 2x 30 minutes or 3x 20 minutes, YOU ARE THE BOSS OF “ME TIME”!

Messy spaces not only make it hard to get anything done, they also make it hard to keep your mind clear and relaxed. A 10-minute cleanup session could be rewarded in your challenge as a way to encourage employees to stay organized.

It doesn’t matter what space is cleaned up for this part of the challenge. It could be a work desk, but it could also be a car, the kitchen at home, or any other messy space.

Challenge: Spend 10 minutes a day tidying or organising. Tackle that utility draw, tidy the shed or polish your football trophies!

There isn’t enough time for quiet in the world today. Enjoy some quiet time to focus on your thoughts. Meditation reduces stress and promotes focus, even something as short as 10 minutes can have a valuable impact.

Challenge: Try commit 10-20 minutes a day this week to meditation or mindfulness breathing.

Some studies suggest that what we eat and drink can affect how we feel. But it can be difficult to know what to eat, especially when healthier foods can be more expensive. And it can be hard to think about our diet when we’re struggling with our mental wellbeing.

Challenge: This challenge is good for not only your physical & mental health but also your wallet. See if you can go all week without eating out, including takeaways and meal deals. Prep and enjoy homemade food this week.

Perhaps nothing else can improve wellness more than simply being nice and having others be nice to you. The concept of nice is often lost, especially in the workplace.

Being nice can mean many different things, and all of them should qualify for this challenge. It can be simply complimenting someone on their good work or doing something to help someone else make it through their day a little easier. Whatever the case, being nice makes people feel good and takes them closer to the wellness they seek.

Challenge: How many acts of kindness can you rack-up this week?

The way we engage with and interpret our world is another of the major impacts on our wellbeing.

Our outlook, attitude and approach determine our reality as well as how we experience each moment of the day.

A positive and growth mindset allows us to see life as an opportunity rather than a drag.

One of the best ways to have a positive mindset and productive day is to set the stage for that day the night before. By listing out tomorrow’s activities today, it will be easier to jump right into action when the morning arrives. Points in your challenge can be awarded for every day that is planned out the night before. You don’t need to plan out every single minute of the day – even a rough outline with a few key points will do the job.

Challenge: Each night before bed, spend 5 minutes listing out your plans/goals for tomorrow. 

The art of appreciation is all about being genuinely thankful for what we have, despite everything that we don’t have or that might be going wrong for us.

When things get tough, gratitude gives us a bank full of positive memories that things aren’t totally hopeless.

It’s not enough to think of ourselves as grateful, we must do gratitude regularly, meaning we need to find ways to action it.

That could be writing things down that go well, actively appreciating others in person, or imagining losing something we value.

Challenge: Spend the week thinking about what you appreciate in life.

We are learning more and more each year that what and how we eat affects not just our bodies, but also how we feel, think and act.

It’s not about this diet or that diet but instead giving new meaning to how and why we eat.

Great nutrition means food is not an end, but a component of living ‘the good life.’

Challenge: Try get your 5-a-day this week.

Just as there isn’t enough time to think quietly in the world today, there also isn’t enough time to talk for no other reason than to have an enjoyable chat with a friend or family member.

Creating meaningful relationships requires effort, time and empathy because the quality of our relationships with partners, friends and colleagues is one of the key determinants of our well-being.

Plus, with everything that’s going on often we don’t prioritise relationships because we assume other things matter more. Connection is more than just fun and having a good time, it’s a crucial component of our mental health and well-being.

Challenge: Have meaningful conversation with people you may otherwise only text from time to time or have a non-work conversation with a colleague or reconnect with someone that you haven’t spoken with in a while.