The Winter Arc: How to Use Winter to Transform into Your Best Self

Learn how you can harness the 90-day Winter Arc from October through December to build healthy habits, focus on self-care, and transform yourself before the new year!

As the leaves begin to change color and the air becomes crisp, many of us start to slow down, get cozy, and prepare for the holiday season ahead. We retreat indoors and hibernate through the winter months.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, you can also use this time to focus on yourself and build healthy habits to prepare to start the new year stronger and more confident.

Enter the Winter Arc — a 90-day period from October 1st through the end of December where you start your new Year resolutions early and commit to self-care, wellness, and personal growth so that you can enter 2025 as the best version of yourself.

The Winter Arc is an opportunity to focus on your long-term goals and build the habits and routines that will last far past the new year.

In this post, we’ll dive into all things Winter Arc, starting with what it is, how to use these 90 days to transform your life, and cover everything you need to know from fitness to nutrition and mindset.

What is the Winter Arc?

Simply put, the Winter Arc refers to the 90-day period between October through December when you focus on building better habits and routines before the new year even begins.

While you might be used to waiting until January 1st to put your New Year’s resolutions into action, the Winter Arc challenge is all about taking action now so come the new year, you are feeling better than ever.

This head start is the perfect way to enter 2025 already feeling like an upgraded version of you, with the established routines that will carry you through the new year and beyond.

@carlyupgraded WINTER (ARC) IS COMING ⚔️❄️ you tapping in?? #winterarc #mindset #reinventyourself #realityshifting ♬ original sound – CARLY

Why the Winter Arc is the Perfect Time for Transformation

You might associate the winter season with a time of rest and maybe even indulgence, but it’s also an excellent time to focus on self-improvement. Here are a couple of reasons why:

1. The Slower Pace: The colder months are naturally less hectic which makes it easier to focus on personal goals without the distractions of summer holidays and busy social calendars. You’ll probably find yourself spending more time at home and therefore more time to invest in your daily habits related to fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness.
2. Preparation for the New Year: Entering a new year brings a ton of excitement for transformation and starting anew but one of the best things about it is that you can declare a fresh start at any time of year. Instead of waiting to make resolutions in January, start early with a Winter Arc and spend 90 days developing healthy habits and routines so that by the time 2025 arrives, you’ll already be reaping the rewards of your hard work.
3. Mental & Physical Wellbeing: The winter months can have a negative impact on your overall mood (Hello, Seasonal Depression!). The Winter Arc is all about prioritizing your wellness with habits and routines that counteract the effects of winter and actually help you to feel your best, despite the colder weather.

How to Make the Most of Your Winter Arc: 5 Key Areas to Focus On

In order to plan for the best possible Winter Arc, it’s useful to break down your goals in to specific areas of focus. We like to use these five pillars to craft our goals:

1. Improve Your Sleep Routine

Naturally longer nights and shorter days lend themselves perfectly to getting enough high-quality sleep every single night. The Winter Arc is a great time to reset your sleep schedule and prioritize getting those zzzs. You will be amazed by just how much of a difference it can make to your day-to-day life, mental clarity, and energy levels.

Tips for Better Sleep:

• Create a consistent sleep schedule and go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
• Create a nighttime routine to get your mind and body ready for sleep.
• Reduce or eliminate screen time before going to bed.

2. Create a Winter Skincare & Self-Care Routine

The dry cold air of the season can cause Winter dryness and cause damage to your skin making the Winter Arc a great time to step up your skincare game. Plus, self-care is super important when it comes to keeping stress levels low and practicing good mental health habits, especially during the winter months.

Self-Care & Skincare Tips:

• Switch up your morning and evening skincare routines to focus on hydration and repair.
• Stay consistent with your skincare routine and products.
• Practice a little bit of self-care every day.

3. Stay Active with a Consistent Workout Plan

You might be in the habit so ramping up your workout routine when Spring rolls around but imagine how amazing you’ll feel if you start now and stay consistent until Summer? Daily movement is great for increasing your overall energy levels which helps maintain mental and physical health in the colder months. Pick something you love — whether its yoga, pilates, weightlifting, or anything else — and stick to it.

The Best Fitness Tips for Your Winter Arc:

• Set a daily movement goal, such as walking 10,000 steps or doing some form of exercise every day.
• Explore new activities to learn what you love. Challenge yourself to take one brand-new fitness class every month.
• Enjoy the fresh air and changing scenery with daily walks — just don’t forget to bundle up!

4. Focus on Nourishing Your Body with Whole Foods

It’s hard to deny that when we think of Winter foods, comfort foods come to mind first. Instead of eliminating all your cozy favorites, why not look for healthy and nutritious versions of them instead? We’re big believers in a whole foods balanced diet that includes whole-ingredient nutrient-rich fruits, veggies, and proteins with the occasional indulgence sprinkled in.

Whole Foods Nutrition Tips for Your Winter Arc:

• Opt for healthy versions of your cozy favorites. Look for recipes that adapt classics into nutritious balanced meals.
• Plan your meals in advance and meal prep to avoid making unhealthy choices when you’re hangry or tired.
• Stay hydrated with herbal teas and water throughout the day.

5. Shift Your Mindset to Gratitude & Mindfulness

As 2024 comes to a close, the Winter Arc is the perfect time to spend some time reflecting on what you’ve accomplished and where you want to go in the future. Implementing a gratitude practice, mindfulness, and journalling can help your mentally reset and prepare for your best year yet.

Mindset & Gratitude Practices:

• Start a daily gratitude journal or gratitude journalling challenge.
• Set intentions or goals along with actionable daily habits and routines.
• Add meditation or breathwork exercises to your daily schedule.

Create Your Own 90-Day Winter Arc Challenge

The Winter Arc doesn’t have a pre-set list of rules or requirements so you can tailor it to fit your goals and lifestyle. Whether you want to focus on improving your morning routine, making better food choices, or practicing daily mindfulness, the Winter Arc gives you 90 days to set clear goals and actionable steps to achieving them.

Did you know that on average, it takes 66 days to form a new habit? (source)

How to Build Your Winter Arc Challenge:

Example Winter Arc Challenge:

We’ve created this example Winter Arc Challenge to serve as inspiration. There are 5 daily non-negotiables to focus on for the 90-day period.

1. Wake up & fall asleep early and at the same time every day
2. No phone for the first hour after waking up
3. Move your body every day for at least 60 minutes
4. Focus on eating whole foods and limiting processed foods
5. Prioritize daily self-care such as gratitude journaling or your skincare routine

Are There Any Winter Arc Rules?

While there are not any pre-set Winter Arc rules, these simple guidelines will help you stay on track and make the most of your Winter Arc.

• Consistency is More Important Than Perfection: Everyone knows that perfection can be the enemy of progress. Try not to get too caught up in expecting perfect consistency and instead focus on what you are doing instead of what you aren’t doing.
• Process Over Results: Small changes can add up over time and that is what Winter Arc is about — getting a headstart and giving yourself time. Focus on the journey and you’ll find you get the best results.
• Focus on Self-Care & Self-Love: The Winter Arc is a time of focused self-improvement but it shouldn’t be a time of beating yourself up or being overly critical. Combine your goals with daily self-care and a kind inner voice to avoid turning Winter Arc into something you dread.
• Practice Mindful Reflection: One of the best ways to ensure you accomplish your goals is to track your progress and results. Incorporate regularly scheduled moments of reflection to check in with yourself and be your own accountability partner.

Final Thoughts on the Winter Arc

The time between October through the end of December is a unique opportunity to reset, refocus, and prepare for the new year. It presents a 90-day window for building healthy habits and routines so that you can enter 2025 feeling like the best version of yourself.

Whatever your focus is, this Winter Arc is your time to shine!

Wishing you all the luck,

A small note for my readers – Over here at VLHhealth, we occasionally include affiliate links in our posts. This means that if you purchase using our links, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

More ideas you’ll love

• 31 Healing Emotional Self-Care Practices Every Woman Should Know
• Vision Board Ideas: How to Make A Vision Board to Actually Manifest Your Dreams In 2024
• 7 High-Protein Crockpot Meals that Are Insanely Healthy & Easy to Make

Pin for later!

Posted By: Victoria · In: mindset