Winter Arc: Toxic or transformative?

Move aside gym bros, winter arc is time for mental and emotional change too.

You may have come across some influential figures you follow on socials suddenly diving head-first into a super strict winter regime. A gym selfie at 5 am here, a journaling session at 10 pm there, and a slew of motivational TikTok’s being silently reposted on their page. So why has everyone suddenly locked in? Are we missing something here?  

Quite frankly, we are. If you weren’t aware, people are now entering their winter arc – a term that describes full mental, emotional, and physical change for 90 days. Those partaking started on the 1st of October and are using it to get ahead of the general population who are indulging in various holidays and festivities, so they are ready and raring to go in time for summer. The consensus is, that if you start now, by New Year you will be so deep in your routine that you won’t need to rely on the flimsy motivation of ‘New Year, New You’ to further a rigorous self-change routine.  

Everyone’s winter arc is completely tailored to them but remain familiar with rules such as limiting distractions; being disciplined; and becoming the best version of yourself. Some of the hardcore winter arcers are getting extreme with their goals, claiming their rules include things such as waking up at 5 am; working out 6 times a week; reading 50 pages of a book a day; eating an 80/20 carnivore diet; cutting romantic ties; and buzzing your hair off.  

It does have to be said though, there seems to be an extreme difference in men taking on the winter arc, as opposed to women who are now sharing their tips. The gym bros are recruiting fellow arcers in an almost cult-like manner, with some accounts on TikTok saying that “this is the time where every boy that follows their self-improvement routine during winter will finally become a man.” Another states that this should be a “period where individuals use their coldest, darkest days of the year to refocus, pre-visualise, and arrive at their desired destination.”  

Gym bro jargon aside, the extreme male winter arc groups may not explicitly be condemning women, but are linked to a culturally misogynistic wave of health influencers that do so. After watching one winter arcer who claims only men should be lifting weights during this period, their self-proclaimed ‘alpha’ lifestyle is, evidently, a slippery slope. The connection isn’t absolute, but as the algorithm goes, it is leading young vulnerable men into the world of controversial figures such as Andrew Tate and Joe Rogan. They would have you believe that going to the gym and listening to supposed ‘alpha’ males preach self-improvement is the equivalent of bettering themselves emotionally – which is simply not true. Each side of the winter arc, including mental and emotional, should be equal in this challenge.  

Luckily, the algorithm is now starting to cater to this, generally reducing the exposure for this one-sided content and boosting a more positive approach to the 90 days ahead. Many self-help influencers and users—men and women alike—are using this period for true mental and emotional change for everyone. They are looking to revolutionise their well-being, using exercise and physical change as just one of their many tools to help in this. 

They emphasise the importance of healthy habits, and how this should gradually build up throughout the chosen time. You also don’t have to start on the 1st of October – you can choose your starting date when convenient. This could include things like waking up at a chosen set time; limiting but not completely banning social use (ie. no doom-scrolling); tidying before bed; reading 10 pages a day; journaling; meditating; self-love affirmations; exercise of your choice 4 times a week (could be as simple as a 10-minute walk); schedule in family calls or quality time for friends; and create a vision board each week. You should also have one personal goal that you may have been putting off, such as booking your first therapy session, cleaning your room, gardening, or even meeting with an old friend.  

You can tailor it completely to your own goals and increase the challenge or simply add 1 or 2 things into your routine for a slow shift into a more peaceful state of being. Some even suggest that you plan a ‘Solo Moon’ halfway through to look forward to, which is a solo honeymoon to celebrate your goals and achievements. This can look like a weekend getaway, a few days to yourself, or simply indulging in an activity you enjoy as a rest bite. The ‘Solo Moon’ should allow you to disconnect and reflect, and it is encouraged that you document your thoughts throughout this time.  

As we all enter winter, where we naturally want to stay inside from the cold and get tired with fewer hours of sun, it is important to keep a productive routine. But as the winter arc is teaching us, this is not a competition but a personal journey, and we should look at all our self-improvements as a holistic effort that takes time. So whilst you may want to lock in and get to the gym to improve your physical health every day, we should also be caring for our mental and emotional health at the same time. How will you winter arc?