Each year on November 1, like clockwork, the “winter arc” floods social media feeds.
The winter arc is a popular self-improvement challenge, focusing on improving health and creating better habits; however, most viral winter arc transformation posts only display extreme physical changes to the body and massive lifestyle shifts.
The allure of this on social media is clear; lock in for 90 or so days, create a disciplined regimen of healthy habits and be the dream version of yourself by summer time. It is an inherently positive concept to focus on bettering yourself; however, with social media added to the mix, a challenge that should be healthy often transforms into a competition between you and the person on the other side of the screen. For many, every winter arc video that appears on the feed translates to a sign that you are not doing enough.
Despite this, there is a solution for reconstructing the winter arc into being effective. The first step is to block harmful winter arc related content from your feed. What seems like someone doing better than you can really be someone pushing themselves too far, if you don’t know the person posting you will never know if they are actually doing “better” than you or just creating an unrealistic standard.
The next step to success is to set your own goals. Ask yourself what changes would improve your life, rather than looking for the internet to tell you. Yes, some winter arcs may include a physical transformation, but that does not mean everybody’s has to. If changes that are beyond physical health is what will benefit you most, that is where you should focus your energy. The winter arc also does not need to consist of massive lifestyle shifts; start with small attainable goals and build up to larger objectives, rather than forcing yourself into drastic changes that will be difficult to reach. Another thing to keep in mind is although discipline plays a crucial role in the winter arc, it is also important to maintain a balanced lifestyle. If you are using the winter arc as means for restriction, consistency becomes almost impossible. Not every day will go exactly as planned, but the habits you practice most of the time matter more than what you do sometimes.
The most alluring part of the winter arc is that there is no rule book. Unlike other popular wellness focused challenges such as “75 hard,” the winter arc is entirely created by you. So, if you plan on partaking in the winter arc challenge this year, remember that everyone’s journey is going to look different and just because someone is doing it differently than you does not mean you are doing something wrong. If you customize the challenge to fit your personal needs, rather than chasing unattainable goals posted online, the winter arc may really live up to the hype.
