What Is The Winter Arc?
The Winter Arc is using the last 3 months of the year to focus on your goals and personal development. Think of it as a way to get ahead of the New Year resolution craze. Studies show that it takes on average 66 days to form a habit, starting now allows for good habits to be formed BEFORE the New Year. However this doesn’t mean The Winter Arc has to end come January 1st. Many continue their newly established good habits into March or April or successfully create lifelong new editions to their routine.
Now let’s get into some common areas of focus for The Winter Arc. Please keep in mind this looks different for every person!
Fitness:
This area is likely one of the most common goals for people. There are many ways to get active but I’d say sticking with 1-2 things is the best way to go for The Winter Arc. Consistency is truly the name of the game in order to successfully complete this. Here are some examples below for ways you can focus on fitness these last 3 months:
- Strength training – my personal favorite
- At least 10,000 steps a day
- Pilates
- Kickboxing
- At home workouts on YouTube
Consistency in 30-60 minutes of exercise regularly (with adequate rest days) and you will feel a difference in your health this Winter Arc. Choose what works best for you!
Food:
Fitness and food go hand in hand and should be focused on simultaneously to help your body and mind thrive. Many use The Winter Arc to help with limiting sugar intake and to eat more whole, nutritious, protein rich meals.
The American Heart Association recommends that women should be eating no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar PER DAY (36 grams for men). The average woman in the U.S. consumes 62.5 grams (15 teaspoons) of sugar per day. This means one grande Iced Chai Latte from Starbucks puts you over the recommended daily limit at 42g of sugar. Excessive sugar intake isn’t the only thing that could potentially impede on our health and growth during this challenge, it’s also a good idea to watch out for highly/overly processed foods. Some ultra-processed foods you may consider avoiding this winter are:
- Sweetened breakfast cereals
- Soda
- French fries
- Candy
- Processed meat – Identified as a Group 1 carcinogen (meaning there is more than enough evidence to conclude that it causes cancer in humans, same level as alcohol and smoking)
- Ex: Salami, Hot dogs, Bacon
There are many highly processed food options you can choose to replace with healthier alternatives for the next couple months. Try to replace at least 3 of the most frequent unhealthy things with a healthier option.
Mental:
Mental health is such an important aspect of life that not enough people focus on. There are many active ways we can increase our overall brain health. Better brain health can contribute to improved cognitive function, feeling more emotionally balanced, and even increased life expectancy. One of the easiest things you can do to give your brain a good workout is to simply use it! Staying mentally active with things like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, or reading can help a bunch.
For The Winter Arc, I’ve noticed some making it a rule for themselves to read at least 10 pages a day as well as waking up earlier. Many have also decided to refrain from social media, phone usage in the morning, and to replace TV/movies with more educational YouTube videos or Podcasts. All of these, in addition to exercise, healthy eating, and prioritizing sleep, contribute to better overall mental & brain health and are awesome things to try out this Winter Arc.
Spiritual:
Spiritual growth looks very different for a lot of people and how you define this for your personal routine will look different as well. As a Christian, there are many ways to grow on your walk with God. You can use this time ensure you’re reading, praying, and worshiping daily. Deepening that relationship with God during this journey can also look like fasting at least once a month if you don’t already fast regularly. Replacing TV/movies with religious sermons or Christian podcasts can also help in this area.
Also, getting a daily devotional Bible can help you with being consistent when reading the Bible and spending time with God. If you read the Bible but haven’t taken the chance to truly study it, The Winter Arc is a great time to start. You can get a journal and your Bible and aim to spend time with Him daily, the journal can be for prayer requests and tracking your answered prayers, for dissecting scripture, or taking notes on a good sermon. Some of my favorite Christian podcasts I recommend are
- A Christian Podcast with Kevin Wilson
- With The Perrys
- Megan Ashley’s Podcast – In Totality
- Conversations with John and Lisa Bevere
All the podcasts are also available on YouTube if you prefer to watching them speak rather than listening to podcasts.
My Winter Arc:
For me, this Winter Arc will look like strength training at the gym in the mornings at least 4 days a week. I definitely will need to include some healthier eating habits, a good French fry is my weakness, so I’m focusing on cutting out fried foods. I plan on reading my Bible more consistently which helps fulfill both the mental and spiritual aspects of The Winter Arc. Also replacing my occasional Netflix binge with something a little more mentally stimulating and informationally fascinating. What does your winter arc look like?
