Apple is hosting a new Apple Watch Activity Challenge on Sunday, December 21, to mark World Meditation Day. You will start seeing the challenge on your Apple Watch from December 19, giving you a couple of days to prepare.
The challenge is simple. On December 21, you need to record at least five mindful minutes. You can do this using the Mindfulness app or any third-party app that adds mindful minutes to the Health app. Once you complete it, you earn a special Meditation Day badge.
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Apple first introduced this challenge in May 2024. Later that year, the United Nations General Assembly officially moved World Meditation Day to December 21. Apple confirmed the updated timing of the challenge after the date change became official.
December 21 also lines up with the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a time when nights are longest and days are shortest, which fits well with the idea of slowing down and focusing on mindfulness.
When you earn the award, you unlock a dedicated badge inside the Fitness app. You also get a set of animated stickers that you can use in Messages.
Earlier this year, Apple ran a similar Mindful Month Activity Challenge. That event focused on mental health, self-care, meditation, and daily mindfulness. This new challenge continues that same message, but in a shorter and more focused way.
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