Fall can be a tricky season for engagement. The excitement of summer fades, routines return, and motivation often dips as the year winds down.
So how can you support your employees through the infamous post-summer slump, when energy levels and engagement naturally decline?
In this guide, we’ve gathered creative, team-friendly fall wellness challenges that go beyond the usual fitness themes. From fall wellness tips and healthy office activities, we’ll show you how to keep participation high long after pumpkin season, so fall isn’t just a one-off campaign, but the start of lasting healthy habits.
Seasonal changes don’t just impact the weather. They affect how people feel, focus, and perform at work. With the groundwork of seasonal dips in mind, fall emerges as a prime moment for wellness initiatives. Here’s why:
These timely, seasonal challenges tap into what’s popular right now.
1. Fall Into Fitness
A classic for a reason!
This 3-week team challenge tracks steps or minutes of movement, with teams competing on a virtual “route” to a fall landmark (think: the Great Pumpkin Trail or Autumn in Vermont).
The group aspect makes it social and inclusive, which means people of all fitness levels can walk, stretch, or dance their way to progress.
Why implement this? Movement increases dopamine and energy, helping combat the post-summer dip in motivation. In addition, the team dynamic drives accountability and camaraderie across departments.
Tip: Add prizes for team consistency, not just top totals, to avoid discouraging slower starters or those who join late. Rewarding steady participation keeps morale high and prevents the challenge from feeling competitive or exclusionary. If you’re curious about exercises for office workers, check out our earlier article.
2. Fall Into Healthy Habits
This challenge invites employees to choose one small, healthy action each week, such as hydrating, taking a 10-minute walk, or practicing gratitude, and “stack” habits as fall progresses. By the end, everyone has built a routine of 4-5 micro-habits that fit their lifestyle.
Why implement this? Tiny, consistent actions are more sustainable than big resolutions, and self-selection gives employees control, which research has shown improves long-term habit retention. (1)
Tip: Offer a printable habit tracker and highlight leaders who share their progress to make participation visible and relatable with the rest of the team. Dive deeper into the fall health tips with our dedicated article.
3. Gratitude Harvest
Employees post one thing they’re grateful for each week (personally or professionally) and tag a colleague who helped them achieve it. HR compiles highlights into a “harvest” reel at month’s end.
Why implement this? Gratitude activates reward pathways in the brain and directly boosts engagement scores by improving connection and recognition (2). It’s also simple to roll out across hybrid teams.
Tip: Create a dedicated Slack or Teams channel and spotlight posts in all-hands meetings to normalize recognition across departments. Public acknowledgment reinforces the habit and builds a stronger sense of community and belonging.
Are you looking to transform both your business and the lives of your team members? BetterMe corporate wellness solutions provide a holistic approach to physical and mental health that boosts productivity and job satisfaction.
4. Cozy Up and Log Off
A digital-wellness initiative that sets company-wide “digital dusk” hours (for example, no emails or messages after 6:30 p.m.) paired with a short end-of-day “third-space” ritual, such as journaling, tea, or light stretching.
Why implement this? Reducing digital load improves sleep quality and decreases burnout risk (3). In the fall, when daylight fades earlier, clear boundaries protect mental health and maintain focus during work hours.
Tip: Have leaders model the change and schedule a short weekly “wind-down” session for anyone who is struggling to disconnect. When employees see boundaries modeled from the top, they feel safer taking them too.
5. Pumpkin Spice Mindfulness
Host short, guided meditation or breathing sessions a few times a week, either live or recorded, with a lighthearted seasonal twist (pumpkin spice optional).
Why implement this? Mindfulness reduces stress hormone levels and increases concentration (4), something that’s particularly important during darker, slower months. Making it seasonal keeps the tone playful and approachable.
Tip: Offer sessions at multiple times (morning and post-lunch) to accommodate different schedules. Giving options reduces participation barriers and makes mindfulness feel accessible rather than “one more meeting”.
6. Move for a Cause
Turn physical activity into impact by linking movement to donations. Every 1,000 steps, yoga class, or 10-minute walk adds to a shared company total that unlocks contributions to a chosen charity.
Why implement this? Altruism is a strong intrinsic motivator (5). When movement serves a cause, employees are more likely to participate and sustain the behavior. It also boosts social connection and purpose.
Tip: Let employees vote on the charity and share live progress updates in a dashboard or internal newsletter. When people see their collective effort making a difference, motivation remains high and engagement becomes purpose-driven.
Read more: 5 Stages Of Burnout: What It Is, How To Recognise It, And How To Recover
As fall often brings lower sunlight and energy, mental wellness challenges help employees build emotional balance through mindfulness and stress management.
7. Fall Reflection Challenge
Encourage employees to spend 10 minutes each week reflecting on their biggest learnings or wins of the year so far. They can jot these down in a shared doc or personal journal.
Why implement this? Reflection builds self-awareness and reduces stress by shifting focus from what’s left to do to what’s already been achieved, boosting morale before year-end.
Tip: Offer optional reflection prompts (such as “What am I proud of this week?”). Guided reflection helps employees start easily and creates consistency.
8. Calm Commute Challenge
Whether employees drive, walk, or work remotely, challenge them to start and end their day with a mindful transition, such as listening to relaxing music, stretching, or a short gratitude note before logging in/out.
Why implement this? Transitional rituals reduce stress hormones (6) and prevent emotional carryover from home to work (and vice versa), which improves focus and mood.
Tip: Have leaders share their own “calm commute” rituals to normalize participation. Modeling behavior encourages wider engagement.
Movement fights fatigue and re-energizes teams during darker, colder months. These fall fitness challenge ideas make it easy (and enjoyable) for employees to remain active throughout the season.
9. Desk Detox Challenge
Encourage employees to break the “sit marathon” by taking three micro-movement breaks daily – think standing stretches, posture resets, or hallway walks.
Why implement this? Even short bursts of movement reduce back pain, improve circulation, and restore focus. Studies show that standing or stretching every 30 minutes can significantly reduce fatigue and musculoskeletal strain. (7)
Tip: Pair each movement prompt with a fun team reminder (e.g. “Stretch Break Soundtrack” or “Chair Yoga GIFs”). Humor makes consistency more likely and keeps participation lighthearted.
Read more: 10 Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk for Better Strength and Mobility
10. Hydration Harvest
Challenge everyone to drink enough water throughout the workday, using fun visuals such as leaf icons or digital trackers to mark progress.
Why implement this? Hydration boosts cognitive performance, mood, and energy (8). It’s simple but essential as cooler weather masks thirst. Many employees confuse fatigue with dehydration.
Tip: Make it social. Have a “Hydration Hero” of the week who shares creative ways they remember to drink (such as flavored water recipes). Peer-led ideas normalize healthy habits.
Money stress is one of the top causes of distraction at work. These challenges promote financial confidence and stability.
11. Money Mindset Month
Host a 4-week challenge where employees take one small financial wellness step each week, such as reviewing subscriptions, setting a savings goal, or attending a budgeting mini-workshop.
Why implement this? According to PwC’s Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 57% of employees say that financial stress negatively impacts their work (9). Small, structured steps help employees build financial confidence and reduce day-to-day anxiety.
Tip: Bring in a guest financial coach for a short Q&A. Access to expert advice signals employer support and breaks the taboo around money discussions.
An individual approach to the fitness, nutrition, and mental health of your employees, together with BetterMe employer support – you’ve got everything at your fingertips. What are you waiting for? Access all the benefits now!
12. Fall Into Growth Challenge
Encourage employees to set one professional growth goal for the season, such as completing an online course, shadowing a teammate, or presenting in a meeting. Track and celebrate progress weekly.
Why implement this? Career development is a top predictor of engagement and retention. Gallup research shows that employees whose skill development is recognised are 56% more likely to feel motivated to continue learning. (10)
Tip: Let employees choose their own focus area. Autonomy increases buy-in and ensures goals feel personally relevant rather than HR-mandated.
Human connection is one of the strongest drivers of engagement. These challenges foster belonging, teamwork, and trust.
13. Lunch Roulette
Pair up employees randomly each week for virtual or in-person coffee or lunch breaks.
Why implement this? Cross-department interactions combat isolation and strengthen collaboration.
Tip: Keep it low-pressure – 15 minutes max, or “coffee chat” format. Provide conversation starters for introverts to make it easy and inclusive. Our previous post goes into great detail about the healthy snacks for the office.
14. Volunteer Together Week
Choose a local cause or charity and dedicate a week where teams volunteer together – either onsite or remotely (e.g. digital mentoring, donation drives).
Why implement this? Volunteering improves purpose and reduces burnout. Deloitte research shows that 89% of employees believe that purpose-driven company culture leads to higher satisfaction. (11)
Tip: Offer paid volunteer hours to remove barriers and allow employees to pick causes they care about. Shared meaning deepens engagement.
Purpose inspires commitment. Tying wellness to sustainability helps employees feel that their actions matter.
15. Green Commute Challenge
Encourage employees to walk, cycle, carpool, or use public transport for at least part of their commute during the fall. For remote teams, include eco-friendly alternatives such as “no-drive” days.
Why implement this? Active commuting is linked to lower stress and improved mental health (12). It is also aligned with sustainability values, which strengthens company pride and shared purpose.
Tip: Track participation on a shared leaderboard and reward consistency, not distance. This keeps the focus inclusive for all fitness levels.
16. Zero-Waste Week
Host a week-long challenge encouraging teams to reduce waste – bring reusable coffee cups, minimize single-use plastics, or organize a “leftover lunch” day.
Why implement this? Environmental action builds collective efficacy – employees feel their small actions contribute to something bigger. In fact, research found that 74% of employees feel more fulfilled in their jobs when they’re given opportunities to make a positive social or environmental impact. (13)
Tip: Provide visible metrics, such as pounds of waste diverted, to make the impact tangible and reinforce progress.
With dispersed teams becoming the norm, these virtual wellness challenge ideas ensure everyone can take part.
17. Fall Photo Scavenger Hunt
Ask employees to post fall-themed photos (such as cozy corners, pets in leaves, or homemade soups) in Slack or Teams.
Why implement this? Visual storytelling builds belonging and gives remote teams a glimpse into each other’s worlds, something that is often missing in virtual settings.
Tip: Offer lighthearted badges such as “Most Autumnal”, “Best Pet Cameo”, or “Coziest Workspace”. Recognition is the key to sustaining engagement.
18. Virtual Book or Podcast Club
Choose a short book, podcast series, or TED Talk lineup related to well-being, creativity, or leadership. Meet biweekly to discuss takeaways.
Why implement this? Having opportunities to learn and grow is one of the core drivers of engagement.
Tip: Rotate facilitators each session to build ownership and variety. Include reflection prompts so discussions stay inclusive for quieter participants.
Phase 1: Set the Stage with a Kickoff Workshop
Start your challenge with a 60-minute workshop to build excitement and purpose. This session will help employees understand why the initiative matters.
Tip: Announce the challenge in Slack or Teams right after the workshop, using a short video or fun poll to encourage signups.
Phase 2: Drive Engagement Through Gamified Challenges
Once launched, keep the momentum with a light structure and friendly competition.
Split employees into 4-6 teams with rotating captains and weekly mini-missions (hydration, mindfulness breaks, movement goals).
To sustain interest:
Expect 35-60% participation in the first two weeks, stabilizing at 25-40% by week six. A rising engagement trend is a better indicator of success than total numbers.
Phase 3: Recognize, Reflect, and Repeat
End your challenge with recognition and reflection. Highlight effort, consistency, and teamwork at your next all-hands or in your internal newsletter.
Then close the loop with a “You Said/We Did” update that summarizes feedback and the next steps. This small step will transform feedback into visible action – one of the most powerful trust builders in company culture.
Tip: Use simple quarterly pulse surveys or “floor checks” (without managers present) to gather honest feedback and ideas for your next challenge.
Even well-intentioned programs can backfire if they’re not handled thoughtfully. Watch out for these common missteps:
Team-based or social challenges work best. Think step challenges, gratitude boards, or charity drives. They encourage collaboration and friendly competition across departments. Platforms like BetterMe Business make it easy to launch ready-made wellness programs, track participation, and manage leaderboards in one place. Most successful workplace wellness challenges run for 4-8 weeks. This is long enough to build habits but short enough to sustain excitement.Frequently Asked Questions
What types of wellness challenge ideas resonate best with large teams?
What apps support running wellness challenge ideas smoothly?
How long should a wellness challenge last?
The end of your fall challenge shouldn’t mean the end of engagement. Instead, keep the energy alive by transitioning into winter wellness themes.
From there, build a year-round wellness rhythm with quarterly challenges, light monthly check-ins, or a dedicated wellness committee to keep ideas fresh. After all, it’s consistency, not intensity, that creates lasting culture change.
BetterMe for Business makes it easy to turn that rhythm into reality. The platform helps you embed well-being into the flow of work, with ready-made seasonal challenges, mental health resources, and team engagement tools, ensuring that wellness isn’t just measured in metrics, but felt in everyday life.
Book a free demo to discover how BetterMe can help your team stay healthy, engaged, and connected all year long.
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