New York (AP) 鈥� A new year is the time to set new goals. Yet that most people don鈥檛 tend to uphold much past the first month.
In an attempt to reframe the thinking around new year goal-setting, has popped up online. It鈥檚 called the 鈥橶inter Arc.鈥�
Here鈥檚 what to know.
What is the Winter Arc?
The goal-setting challenge was created online by fitness and wellness influencers, so there isn鈥檛 a one-size-fits-all approach or standard definition. There are over 400,000 posts on Instagram with the caption #winterarc, and almost 600,000 on TikTok.
For many of those trying the trend, the Winter Arc involves utilizing the cold, dark earlier months of winter to turn inward and get a jump start on their goals, with the intent of having them in place by the time Jan. 1 rolls around.
It鈥檚 also meant to encourage participants to be extremely disciplined and rigid with their goals since it鈥檚 a shorter period to get them done rather than an entire year, or indefinitely.
Laura Galebe, an influencer and the self-proclaimed 鈥淐EO of Glowup Series,鈥� posts videos to her social media accounts talking about her Winter Arc experience. She used the time to commit to 鈥渨alking every day, journaling, and sticking to (her) skincare and wellness routines.鈥�
鈥淚 found it very transformative both mentally and physically,鈥� Galebe says. 鈥淭he consistent movement helped me stay energized and the structure made the season feel a lot less heavy.鈥�
How can you participate?
Although some say the Winter Arc challenge can begin in October, it鈥檚 never too late to start. According to Alex Rothstein, an exercise psychologist with the New York Institute of Technology, the best way to dive in is to carve out time each day to work on your goals.
鈥淚f you make sure to actively plan and schedule each commitment," Rothstein says, 鈥測ou will have an easier time adhering to the program.鈥�
He also recommends setting reasonable, realistic goals that are achievable from day to day. 鈥淩ecognize that if unforeseen circumstances cause you to miss a day or miss a specific goal in a day, it does not mean you failed the entire process,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou should be willing to pick up where you started the next day.鈥�
Galebe recommends finding ways to make fitness 鈥渃ozy and convenient鈥� in the cold winter months.
鈥淚f the thought of heading to the gym in freezing weather is demotivating, consider at-home workouts or joining a heated indoor Pilates or yoga studio,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nother tip is to reframe movement as self-care. Winter is tough on your body and mind so I treat my walks or workouts as part of keeping my overall mental and physical health in check.鈥�
To recap:
鈥擲et realistic, attainable goals.
鈥擯lan out your routine and find the time in your schedule in advance.
鈥擝e okay with missing a day, giving yourself the space to pick up where you left off.
鈥擣ind cozy and convenient ways to stay active in the colder months.
What鈥檚 the point?
Elliot Berkman, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, says that goal progress, rather than simply goal attainment, is psychologically beneficial. He says it can provide 鈥減ositive emotion, a sense of purpose and meaning as well as agency and autonomy.鈥�
When it comes to goal-setting in a short, specific period of time, like the Winter Arc, he says those parameters can be helpful. 鈥淧utting a time bound on a goal can improve the chances the goal is achieved. It鈥檚 easier to maintain motivation if you know that you get to stop at some point as opposed to feeling like you need to keep up the hard work indefinitely, which can be demotivating.鈥�
Some on social media have made comparisons between short-term fitness challenges and crash diets, with the idea being that once the challenge stops, one could return to unhealthy habits. But experts say that鈥檚 not necessarily true.
鈥淚f the challenge is used to help establish new and healthier habits for long term health and wellness, than the challenges are exceptionally useful to help guide and motivate to create these changes,鈥� Rothstein says. He recommends making a plan toward the end of the challenge in an attainable and realistic way.
Bridget Brown, The Associated Press
