1% Challenge: Practice Mindfulness and Earn Rewards

Stress less, improve your sleep, and feel better by building your mindfulness skills! The 1% Challenge, offered annually by our partner eM Life, is a perfect opportunity to create a mindfulness habit and learn scientifically proven mindfulness skills to build resilience, ease stress, and be joyfully present in your life. Employees and spouses enrolled in the UVA and UPG Health plans can earn a $50 Hoos Well reward by practicing mindfulness for 14 minutes - just 1% of your day - each day during the challenge period.

The 2024 1% Challenge has concluded. If you participated, please read below to browse FAQs and information about when the reward will appear in your Hoos Well Portal account and paycheck. If you have questions or technical issues, you can use the live chat feature on the eM Life website or app or contact the eM Life support team at support@emindful.com or 855-211-1536.

Stay tuned for information about the 2025 1% Challenge, which will being in May 2025.

How to Participate

Participation is simple, quick, accessible, and open to UVA employees and spouses on the UVA or UPG Health Plans.

Activate: Start by registering or logging in to your eM Life account anytime between September 9 and October 11, 2024. You are automatically enrolled in the challenge by attending a live or on-demand session. If you’re creating your account through the eM Life mobile apps (iOS and Android), select “Employee Account” and enter your company code: UVA
Dedicate: Practice at least 14 minutes (1% of a day) in live or on-demand sessions for at least 25 days during the 40-day period from when you start the challenge.
Celebrate: Your $50 Hoos Well reward* will appear in your Hoos Well Portal (Virgin Pulse) account within 2 weeks of the day you complete your 1% Challenge. Earned rewards are deposited directly into the Health Plan subscriber’s paycheck during December 2024.

Earn Rewards Along The Way

At 10 days: 30-day Mindfulness Calendar - new, exclusive content
After 20 days: Five Senses Package - tools to practice mindfulness across your senses
After 25 days: $50 Hoos Well Reward*
After 30 days: 1:1 Mindful Mentoring Session - new, topic-focused session

*To earn an annual maximum of $500 Hoos Well cash rewards, you must be enrolled in the UVA Health Plan or UPG Anthem Plan as a subscriber or spouse and actively earning a paycheck at the time of payout. All rewards are paid quarterly into the Health Plan subscriber’s paycheck and are considered taxable income. Retirees, grant funded post-doctoral fellows, COBRA enrollees, and child dependents are not eligible for rewards.

Small changes lead to huge improvements in clarity and emotional balance. Even 1% of your day - 14 minutes - will make a noticeable difference in your overall well-being. Mary Frances Southerland, Chief Administrative Officer, UVA Health

FAQs

Browse additional wellness FAQs not covered on this page.

How do I sign up for the 1% Challenge?

Log in or create an eM Life account. You are automatically enrolled when you practice any live or on-demand sessions in eM Life for at least 14 minutes between Sept. 9 and Oct. 11, 2024. Since Mindful Dailies are just 14 minutes long, we suggest starting with that!
Who can participate in the 1% Challenge?

To participate and earn rewards, you must be enrolled in the UVA Health Plan or UPG Anthem Plan as a subscriber or spouse and actively earning a paycheck at the time of payout. All rewards are paid quarterly into the Health Plan subscriber’s paycheck and are considered taxable income. Retirees, grant funded post-doctoral fellows, COBRA enrollees, and child dependents are not eligible for rewards. For more information, browse FAQs about Hoos Well rewards.
What types of programs qualify for the 1% Challenge?

All of eM Life’s live sessions (such as Mindful Dailies, guided practices, applied programs, Ask A Teacher) and on-demand content qualify for the 1% Challenge – just make sure to watch the minimum of 14 minutes per day!
How Do I Participate?
1. You are automatically enrolled in the challenge by logging into your eM Life account between Sept. 9 - Oct. 11, 2024 and engaging in an eM Life activity for at least 14 minutes (1% of a day).
2. Earn $50 in Hoos Well rewards by participating in live or on-demand sessions in the eM Life app or website for at least 14 minutes a day, for 25 out of 40 days.
3. Your activity in eM Life will be tracked for you automatically, and your completion will be recorded automatically. Your $50 reward will appear in your Hoos Well Portal account within 3 weeks from the day you complete your 1% Challenge.
How do I track my progress?

Log in to your eM Life account and go to the 1% Challenge page. If you have started your challenge, this page will display your dashboard and show you the days you missed, attended and still have left in the 1% Challenge. If you have not started your challenge it will give you more information to get started.
What Are The Activities?
Invest 14 minutes a day in any of eM Life’s offerings:
- “Mindful Daily” sessions: Live, 14-minute mindfulness sessions every day of the week, multiple times per day. eM Life's expert instructors deliver fresh approaches to learning new skills that help you integrate presence into your daily life.
- Live, 30-minute guided practice sessions with expert teachers
- Interactive “Ask A Teacher” sessions where instructors engage in an open dialogue with participants. This is an opportunity to connect with eM Life's expert instructors to ask questions about the skills you are working on.
- Hundreds of hours of on-demand programs to support your mental well-being
- Multi-week immersive programs on diverse topics such as “Skills to Thrive in Anxious Times,” and “Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Training (MBCT)”
Why does it show I missed a day in the progress bar? I don’t think I have missed a day.

Please make sure that the content you participated in falls inside the 24-hour range of the time zone you’ve selected in your Profile and is 14 minutes or more. If you believe there is an error, please contact support@emindful.com.
What Skills Will I Learn?
You'll build skills from the eMCC™, the first ever scientifically validated framework of mindfulness skills, including Awareness, Focus, Cognitive Flexibility, and Curious Observation. In addition to the live Mindful Daily sessions, we recommend the following on-demand programs in eM Life to build these skills:
- Recommended programs to build Awareness: Avoiding Burnout, Awareness of Breathing (5, 10 , 20 and 30 minute practices available), and 7 Days of Sleep – Part 2
- Recommended programs to build Focus: Breathing Meditation, Mindful Communication, and 7 Days of Enhancing Performance
- Recommended programs to build Cognitive Flexibility: Body Scan (5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes), 7 Days of Emotional Intelligence, and 7 Days of Embracing Diversity
- Recommended programs to build Curious Observation: Mindful Movement, 7 Days of Happiness in the Workplace, and 7 Days of Thriving with Positivity
What if I miss a day?

That’s ok, setbacks happen. You can still earn the $50 Hoos Well reward by reaching the 14-minute threshold on nonconsecutive days.
When do I earn rewards?

Your $50 reward will appear in your Hoos Well portal (Virgin Pulse) account within 3 weeks from the day you complete your 1% Challenge.
When will I receive my rewards?

Earned rewards are deposited directly into the Health Plan subscriber’s paycheck on a quarterly basis. Learn more about receiving rewards in your paycheck

The 1% Challenge really helped kickstart a regular meditation practice for me that I’ve carried into my daily life... When I completed the challenge, I felt empowered to be more present in each moment and observe my thoughts and emotions without judgment. Jessica Clark, Director of Technology, UVA Student Affairs

Hear Your Colleagues' Experience in the 1% Challenge

Many of your UVA colleagues were happy to share their thoughts on the 1% Challenge. Here are a few of them!

Michelle Roszell

Hear from Michelle

J.D. Brown

Hear from J.D.

Jaelyn Munson

Hear from Jaelyn

Lachen Parks

Hear from Lachen

Marianne Daughtrey

Hear from Marianne

Emily Cain

Hear from Emily

Sandy Seidel

Hear from Sandy

Renee Brett

Hear from Renee

Annette Liskey

Hear from Annette

The intentionality and accountability that the 1% Challenge provided me was transformative for my mental wellbeing. Every morning I started my day out with a moment of reflection and intention, and it translated to not only my productivity but by lessening my anxiety throughout the weeks. Giving yourself the gift of time each day truly can make an impact in the best of ways, and I would encourage any considering it to take the plunge. UVA participant in the 1% Challenge

1% Challenge: Practice Mindfulness and Earn Rewards

How to Participate

Earn Rewards Along The Way

FAQs

How do I sign up for the 1% Challenge?

Who can participate in the 1% Challenge?

What types of programs qualify for the 1% Challenge?

How Do I Participate?

How do I track my progress?

What Are The Activities?

Why does it show I missed a day in the progress bar? I don’t think I have missed a day.

What Skills Will I Learn?

What if I miss a day?

When do I earn rewards?

When will I receive my rewards?