The Winter Arc Challenge Is All About Using The Final Days Of The Year To Better Yourself
The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer. As our days grow colder and shorter, the urge to curl up at home and get cozy can become overwhelming.
Once you get off work, the sun is already setting, and finding the motivation to do anything but “rot” is a massive challenge.
This seasonal shift, sometimes referred to as autumn burnout, can be a doozy.
Yet, many of us still tend to rationalize our decreased productivity and focus on self-care anyway. We say to ourselves, ‘It’s the holiday season. I’ll get back on track in the new year!” And for some, that’s actually true.
But the majority of people struggle to set realistic New Year’s resolutions (and stick to them). Not to mention, neglecting a healthy routine for an extended period before New Year’s can be disastrous for our mental health.
That’s why the solution to this yearly fall problem may be the “winter arc” challenge.
The Winter Arc Challenge
You might have already seen this trend while scrolling on social media, but if not, let’s break it down.
This challenge was popularized by a TikToker named Carly Berges, and it urges people to use the final 90 days of the year to thrust themselves into their goals and start the new year (in this case, 2025) off right.
alones – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
You don’t have to begin exactly 90 days before January 1, either. The winter arc challenge is more about reversing the fall hibernation mentality to better yourself physically and emotionally.
Why should we have to put some arbitrary value on New Year’s Day and wait until the year turns to 2025 to focus on ourselves? Not only is it idealistic, but it also places a ton of pressure on one day that’s arguably super irrelevant in the grand scheme of the year. I mean, hello, there are still 364 days after that!
With the winter arc challenge, you can focus on improving your situation on your own terms. You might want to work on your fitness, pay down your debt, switch careers, or deepen your interpersonal relationships.
It doesn’t matter what your goals are. The only important thing is to hunker down, focus on what you truly want to change, and make it happen. Then, by the time January 1 rolls around, you will have both already made progress and feel confident to continue.
This ensures you start off on the right foot in 2025.
To Grind Or Not To Grind?
It’s totally understandable why some people covet the colder months as their “slower season.” You may genuinely want to take a step back, enjoy spending time with loved ones, and put less emphasis on personal improvement.
That’s totally valid, yet you can still make strides to better your life. Your winter arc is what you make it to be.
If you’re not interested in spending the last couple of months of the year working your tail off on a goal, just try to make a few positive changes to your daily routine.
You can set intentions for yourself, such as getting outside despite the shorter daylight hours or spending more time on hobbies that make you happy.
One of the things I hate most about “self-care culture” is the (false) idea that you have to go all-in or it’s not worth it. Absolutely nothing in life is that black-and-white.
So don’t let unrealistic expectations dissuade you from taking some baby steps and implementing a few habits that’ll help you meet attainable goals in time for the new year.
How To Start Your Winter Arc
I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but you must set out to achieve things that are actually doable. That’s the first step to beginning your winter arc: determining what areas of your life you want to focus on and can realistically improve.
You can pick out two, three, or even four action items that you think you can commit to. Perhaps you want to limit social media, rework your eating habits, or be more mindful.
Regardless, once you nail down your goals, consider how you can break them down into either daily or weekly habits. When objectives feel too big, they are overwhelming, and we may procrastinate or avoid them altogether.
Creating more digestible, bite-sized habits empowers you to work slowly toward them at a steady pace.
You should aim to make your life easier here, too, because consistency is key.
Don’t mentally commit yourself to hitting the gym six times per week, for instance, if you know you’re always tired after work. Perhaps start with two to three days a week to ensure you can routinely hit your goal on a weekly basis.
When it comes to day-to-day habits, you might want to begin eating a fueling breakfast each morning, texting one friend to check in on them, or taking 10 minutes to meditate before bed each night.
The satisfaction and pride you feel each time you succeed at these little milestones will only fuel your confidence and make it that much simpler to keep going.
As you navigate this process, don’t be afraid to set boundaries as well. After all, some of your (probably already) busy schedule may now be allocated to your winter arc goals, and you deserve to focus on yourself in addition to caring for others in your life.
Scheduling may become your best friend. Your daily planner can illuminate exactly when you have a spare hour here or 10 minutes there to dedicate toward your winter arc intentions.
Getting rid of other obstacles can also help. If you want to cook healthy dinners more often but struggle to find the right recipes or ingredients, sign up for a meal kit service to cut out the middleman.
Or, if you can only hit the gym before or after work, sign up for a new facility that’s closer to your office to make the journey there less tiresome.
What roadblocks you have to work around will all depend on your own personal aims. But by thinking carefully about how you plan to achieve your objectives, you can truly make the most of your winter arc without adding stress to your plate.
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