If you have used any social media platform during the past couple winter seasons, you’ve probably seen or heard the term “Winter Arc.” Many wellness and fitness influencers have started encouraging a full personal lifestyle reset during the winter months – usually December, January, and February – as a way to ward off seasonal depression and get a kickstart on New Year’s goals. However, this can seem like a lot of changes to be making all at once. Although winter is great time to rebrand and reset, it is cold, dark, and can be an easy time to feel overwhelmed and overtired. Here are my top four ways to make a winter arc more manageable, more gentle, and more effective for the average busy, run-down college student.
- Do a financial audit in December.
I will be participating in this for sure – money is one of the most stressful parts of life, so it’s important to attack it head on so you can enjoy your holiday season to the fullest and start the new year with a plan. In order to determine how you should be saving and spending, you should reflect. My first step is to look at my recent paychecks and figure out what I earn each month on average. From there, I figure out what my major savings goals are, and commit to a certain amount of saving for each paycheck. After that, I can allot the rest of my pay to budgeting for things like food, gas, bills, and treating myself (without guilt). A solid plan in place can make your financials a lot less stressful, which is the foundation to being mentally healthy for the rest of the season.
- Choose just 3 habits to focus on.
What makes traditional “challenges” in the wellness/fitness space overwhelming is not the actual difficulty of the habits, but the sheer amount of them being introduced at once. You can’t expect yourself to go from 0 to 100 at the snap of a finger on the first of the month. Instead, pick just three small habits to incorporate. This can be as small as a skincare routine, five minutes of journaling, and taking daily vitamins, or a little more intense, like no alcohol, a strict savings plan, and a commitment to the gym. Start slow and base these habits off of your personal goals, not necessarily the goals of the influencers you follow (although it is perfectly okay to take inspiration from them and follow along on their journeys as well. Just don’t fall victim to the trap of comparison).
- Commit to new morning and night routines.
The easiest way to improve your life this winter is to make sure you take at least 10 minutes in the morning for a fresh start and at least 10 minutes in the evening to prepare for rest. You can work your 3 habits from above into these routines as you see fit – as an example, I will be writing in my Five Minute Journal morning and night to work on my gratitude, committing to my skincare routine twice daily, and doing a “clean sweep” of my space before bed to fall asleep in a calm environment. How you start and end your days makes a difference in how you achieve your goals.
- Hop on to the “personal curriculum” trend.
TikToker Elizabeth Jean went viral this year for her “personal curriculums” – plans for learning and self-development that she makes for herself monthly. If one of your goals for your “Winter Arc” is to read more or become better educated, follow Elizabeth Jean and her suggestions for how to frame that goal! Pick some topics you would like to focus on, arrange them into “courses,” and head to your local public library to get your materials!
There are so many ways to take care of yourself and improve your life this winter, and none of them involve aggressively going from 0 to 100. You can make this a gentle season of growth and take baby steps towards each of your goals. Use the sense of community that’s forming around the idea of “winter arcs” as motivation, but don’t compare your journey to others! Even small lifestyle and mindset changes can make a huge difference.