Enter Your “Winter Arc” Now to Glow Up in 90 Days
When October hits, the temptation to hibernate beckons, soup hits differently, and leaving your apartment can feel like an Olympic-level feat. While we need to embrace moments of slowing down, sometimes they can turn into a rot and any semblance of productivity and basic acts of self-care get neglected. If you’ve been personally victimized by autumn burnout or the winter rut, TikTok may have the solution for you. The Winter Arc is the “90 days before the end of the year where you can get ahead of the ‘New Year, new me’ crowd and hit your goals,” TikToker Jessica Agbolade explained in a video.
While the challenge can be an early New Year’s resolution, giving you motivation to set healthy habits in motion for the rest of the year (and stick to them), you can do it anytime—whether it’s October through December, to reset come January 1, or a summer revamp. Here’s everything you need to know about the Winter Arc challenge, including how to try it for yourself, no matter what time of year.
What Is the Winter Arc Challenge?
Popularized by TikTok creator and life coach Carly Berges, the idea behind the Winter Arc challenge is using the last 90 days of the year (AKA the colder, darker, and slower season) where we want to “hibernate” anyway to start new habits to recommit to your goals and go into 2025 as your best self—physically, mentally, and emotionally. TL;DR: October is the new January.
Berges explained in her video that October through December is the time when a lot of people tend to slow down, have the mentality that they’ll start come January 1, and “let their foot off the gas.” But her argument is that there are still three months left in the year to take action and identify the areas of your life that you can intentionally change to align with your best self. “The winter arc is all about just dialing in, goal setting, and getting super laser-focused on your goals, on your personal development, on your growth, so that way by the time the first of January rolls around, you are already coming out a whole other beast.”
Maybe you want to pay off your debt, change careers, or foster stronger friendships. Or, perhaps you’re looking to eat more protein, go to bed at 10 p.m., or remove toxic people from your life. The bottom line is a lot can change (for the better) in three months if you consistently show up for yourself. Here’s what Berges’ goals are by the end of the Winter Arc challenge: wake up at 5:30 a.m., follow a workout and meal plan, journal two times a day, finish four books, reprogram her mind to be in alignment with the version of herself she wants to become (what she refers to as “identify framework”), and be more consistent creating content. “If you’re ready to go into the new year a whole brand new, better, up-leveled version of yourself, then get to planning your Winter Arc right now,” she said.
Is It Worth Trying?
Phrases like “put your head down and grind” or “become unrecognizable in three months” typically have me throwing red flags like confetti, but I think the Winter Arc can be a positive way to jumpstart winter wellness. Ultimately, the end goal is to adopt daily habits and routines that help you become the best version of yourself and that you can stick to for not only the remainder of the year but in the long run. Self-improvement can take many forms, including mental, physical, and spiritual growth, and the Winter Arc serves as a preparatory period for achieving these improvements before the year’s end. But sometimes we need a little push to figure out what those things are.
READ: 9 Powerful Lifestyle Habits of the World’s Healthiest People
During a time when it’s getting darker earlier, we’re spending more time indoors and we have less energy to make plans, so setting intentions for the next three months can feel more attainable and give you a framework to stay on track. If you have your sights set on sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes, the Winter Arc challenge can help fight the “I’ll start in January” urge and putting off prioritizing you (because we know how that goes!) and be the impetus to start implementing the habits that make you your best self now.
How to Try It
Step 1: Choose your personal goals wisely
The first rule of thumb when starting any challenge is to prioritize goal setting and make sure your goals are realistic and attainable. Otherwise, you can aim too high, burn out, and end up feeling defeated. So pick three to four goals that you can realistically commit to. Maybe you feel good about your existing fitness routine and eating habits, so look to setting financial, social, or mental health goals (because, yes, wellness extends beyond workouts and the way you fuel your body). Maybe you aim to pay off debt, develop stronger friendships, or try TikTok’s “dopamine menu.”
Step 2: Break down your goals into daily or weekly habits
Consistency is key to nailing the Winter Arc challenge, so make it as easy for yourself as possible to show up every day by setting and adhering to personal goals. Take your big goal and break it down into daily and weekly tasks you can check off as you go. This keeps you accountable and gives you a little motivational boost every time you accomplish something. For example, say your goal is to develop closer relationships with female friends. Your daily goal could be texting one friend to check in, and your weekly goals may look like scheduling one coffee date with a new friend or catching up with an old one, hosting a casual get-together, or calling a long-distance friend.
Creating a Workout and Meal Plan
For Berges, being more intentional about her workout frequency, types of workouts, and nutrition was high on her own list of Winter Arc challenge goals to feel and see noticeable changes in her body. Just as important as your goals themselves is setting a clear and realistic workout and meal plan that aligns with your intentions, lifestyle, and schedule in order to help you achieve them (AKA a workout and meal plan that you’ll stick to). Whether you’re striving to lose weight, gain muscle mass, or just improve your overall health, having specific objectives will keep you focused and make it easier to track your progress.
READ: I Can’t Afford My Pilates Membership Anymore—Here’s How I’m Working Out at Home Instead
Start by evaluating what current exercise and eating habits aren’t serving you (think: skipping workouts or not prioritizing protein). Then, aim to make small adjustments to help you get closer to your fitness and nutrition goals. Maybe it’s signing up for a non-refundable Pilates class once a week to start and keeping high-protein snacks on hand. From there, create your workout and meal plan: How many times a week will you work out (remember: be realistic), what types of exercise will you engage in, and how will you incorporate more protein intake throughout the week? Write it out and make a daily checklist of micro goals to tick off to fulfill your plan. The key to crushing the Winter Arc challenge is consistency, so develop a plan that is sustainable, and most importantly, enjoyable.
READ: Weight Lifting is For Women Too–Here’s What You Need To Know
Step 3: Remove obstacles
The last step in making your winter arc goals attainable is making sure your environment supports them. This could look like creating a daily schedule to make sure you can fit in quality time with your friends or partner. It may be joining a gym that’s closer to your work or signing up for a meal prep service to keep up with your healthy eating habits and make eating more protein a little easier. Sometimes, it’s setting boundaries with toxic people who don’t have your best interest at heart, whether at work or in your personal life. Whatever your goals may be, think about how you can reduce any obstacles that can get in the way of you checking off those small, actionable steps and hitting your goals before the new year.
READ: I Eat 120g of Protein Every Day–These are My Sneaky Protein Hacks
Staying on Track
Making Winter Arc goals is one thing, staying on track and achieving them is another. We’ve already established the starting point: Create a schedule and stick to it. Plan out your workouts and meals in advance (sound familiar?) to stay committed and avoid the temptation of instant gratification (read: quick fixes) that can derail your progress (that goes for rest and recovery too).
Enlisting a friend to go in on the Winter Arc challenge with you means keeping each other accountable and motivated, making it a more gratifying, collaborative effort. Text each other for daily or weekly check-ins or, better yet, take walks, sign up for workout classes, and cook together to stay on track. If you’re feeling extra, you can use a journal or app to monitor your progress; seeing your strides can help inspire you to keep going and make adjustments in areas that might be falling short. But if you have off days or setbacks that cause you to miss a workout or have more indulgent meals than planned, that’s OK. You don’t have to “make up” for them or “start over.” And don’t forget to celebrate your successes; acknowledging even the small wins, say, by treating yourself to a new workout ‘fit or a massage, can keep you focused on your purpose.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Abigail Moseman, Social Media Assistant
As the Social Media Assistant, Abi works with the Social Media Editors to ideate and create content, and build community across all of The Everygirl’s social channels. She is also a group fitness instructor at Equinox.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Katherine Chang, Wellness Staff Writer
Katherine Chang is The Everygirl’s Wellness Staff Writer with over five years of experience in the health and wellness space. She navigates the latest wellness topics and trends through expert interviews and studies, and she’s always first in line to try them firsthand.
