Many people engage in the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions, whether they are significant or minor.
However, this customary practice appears to be evolving among Gen Z and millennials.
We’ve already seen the rise of ‘microretirement’, but this year, these generations are also embracing the winter arc.
The concept behind the winter arc is to use the colder months as a time for introspection and focusing on personal aspirations for the future.
This trend has diverged into two paths, originating from fitness and wellness influencers, though there isn’t a singular method to pursue a winter arc.
On the fitness front, it involves early morning gym sessions accompanied by high-energy music.
Conversely, spiritual-themed TikTok accounts and similar platforms encourage introspection during the darker months, suggesting activities like journaling.
Laura Galebe, an influencer on TikTok, has embraced this trend and shares her journey through videos on social media.
Her routine includes ‘walking daily, journaling, and maintaining her skincare and wellness practices’.
Galebe shared: “I found it very transformative both mentally and physically. The consistent movement helped me stay energized and the structure made the season feel a lot less heavy.”
Like New Year’s resolutions, the winter arc should be attainable.
US physician Dr. Nicole Van Groningen emphasized this point to her followers while discussing the winter arc.
“I think that the pitfall … is trying to do way too much,” she explained.
“I get there’s this huge dopamine hit that we get when we set a ton of goals for ourselves and we’re imagining this new and improved version of ourselves that’s just gonna wake up overnight and do, like, all the right things.
“It takes a lot of self-control to say, ‘I’m actually not going to do that. Let me just focus on this one thing, or two things, or maybe three small things.’”
Although some suggest starting the winter arc challenge in October, there’s certainly an opportunity to participate now.