When around a dozen reporters and editors on The New York Times’s Well desk sat around a long table in a conference room in July to brainstorm ideas for a challenge readers could complete to jump-start their 2024, a variety of suggestions were thrown out: How to live a more joyful life. A week’s worth of decluttering exercises. A relationship challenge.
But when Jancee Dunn, who writes The Times’s Well newsletter, asked “Who here is tired?” they knew they had a hit.
“Everyone raised their hands,” said Ms. Dunn, who put together a 6-Day Energy Challenge designed to help readers feel more awake throughout the day.
The challenge, which is the third Ms. Dunn has designed for The Times, will arrive in the inboxes of subscribers to the Well newsletter each morning beginning today. For five consecutive days, readers will receive energy-boosting tips, prompts and exercises recommended by nutritionists, therapists, doctors and exercise scientists. (Day 6 is a recap.) The challenge offers ways to instantly boost energy, but also sets up readers to stay recharged all year.
“I wanted something that would be easy for the reader to do in a couple of minutes that would still produce results,” Ms. Dunn said of the activities, which explore areas like movement, nutrition, relationships and sleep.
In an interview, Ms. Dunn shared what went into putting the challenge together, how she narrowed months of research down to a few days of activities and one change that has made a big difference in her own life. This conversation has been edited.
How did the idea for these challenges come about?
The first one, the 30-Day Well Challenge, debuted in 2019. The goal was to come up with something that was evidence-based, but simple to do. In the years since, Well has done a 7-Day Sugar Challenge, a 10-Day Fresh Start Challenge and a 7-Day Happiness Challenge. And I led a 5-Week Walking Challenge in June.
When did you start working on the 6-Day Energy Challenge?
We started meeting in July and we chose the theme in October. We had many conversations about what the topic should be — we wanted to make it as accessible as possible for different ages and abilities, but something that was a universal concern. And everyone in our room full of Well editors was tired.
What goes into putting one of these together?
I worked intently with my editor, Patia Braithwaite, for months and months. I interviewed probably 40, maybe even 50, experts and read dozens of books. And I sifted through many studies.
How do you find research that will surprise even some of your more health-savvy readers?
For this challenge, we thought it would be interesting to assess aspects of life you don’t normally assess — things that go beyond the usual “get at least seven hours of sleep each night.” We homed in on small, actionable changes you could make in areas, like managing your relationships, that would make a difference long term.
How did you narrow it down to just five days of activities?
I field-test everything with everyone I know — I’ve been driving my family and friends crazy for months. I did the exercise challenge from Day 2 with my family when we had several generations together for the holidays — for three minutes, you imitate a different sport for 30 seconds each — boxing, tennis, basketball, yoga, et cetera. It raises your heart rate and can make you feel energetic, even if you don’t want to move when you’re tired. At first everyone except the kids balked, but soon they were all joining in — even my 81-year-old parents.
Is there an activity you tested that you’ve now incorporated into your daily routine?
A researcher had said, “Find a place, and go there every day so you can ritualize it.” I have a teenage daughter, and her bedroom is really peaceful when she’s not in it. She has Squishmallows all over the place, candles — her room smells so good — and that was my calm, lovely place to retreat to. It made a difference; I started looking forward to my little five minutes here and there. It was replenishing.
Tens of thousands of readers participate in Well challenges. Is there a moment when you realized just how big your audience was?
It was amazing to me that, with the 7-Day Happiness Challenge last year, we’d post an exercise, and comments would start popping up right away. People would get up from what they were doing and go do the challenge. And it went fairly bananas when Jennifer Aniston posted on Instagram about the eight-minute phone call.
What is the most fun part of putting one of these together?
When I experience a moment in my own life that’s confirmation that something is making a difference — for instance, adding more protein to meals. Before working on this challenge, I’d always had cereal for breakfast, and then, two hours later, I’d have a second breakfast — a line that a hobbit uses in “Lord of the Rings.” And then I realized, “Oh, I don’t have to have a second breakfast; I can add a little protein to my breakfast.” I did, and now I feel more energetic in the mornings.
How do you want someone who’s just completed the challenge to feel?
I would like them to feel more empowered, like there are some small things they can do to get a little more energy. I’m not overpromising — I want it to be accessible — but I’d like the results to be real.
Learn more about the 6-Day Energy Challenge here. And to sign up, subscribe to the Well newsletter.