Ifirst saw a Winter Arc on my feed in the form of an aggressive gym bro video. Essentially, it was a lot of raw eggs, steak, and men flexing their biceps. I continued scrolling, assuming that the algorithm had gotten me very confused with the bodybuilding community. To my horror, it seems I was wrong; even the matcha-loving pilates princesses have started subscribing to the latest self-improvement trend.

So, what even is the Winter Arc? From my research (TikTok), I’ve found the rules of this challenge. The idea is, whilst everyone else is in their Christmas slump, you are implementing the habits and regimes that will place you ahead of the game by January. By the time New Year’s Day rolls around, you should already have your gym subscription bought, have a 5am alarm set and have eliminated all sources of distraction and indulgence from your lifestyle. Maximising productivity, building mental strength, and perfecting your body, are the fundamentals of the Winter Arc.

“By New Year’s Day, you should already have your gym subscription bought and have a 5am alarm set”

Sounds ideal, right? Well, I would disagree. I’m sure there are people who benefit from, and are inspired by this kind of content. Achieving your goals, prioritising your wellbeing, and setting healthy routines can never be a bad thing. But, in my humble opinion, I think the Winter Arc trend gets wellness completely wrong, and here’s why.

The capitalism problem

The global self-improvement industry is huge; the market is expected to be worth $81.6 billion by 2032. It’s a relatively new phenomenon, fuelled by the rise of social media. Social media, as a vehicle for advertising, profits on us finding insecurities and buying our way to perfection. But it does something even more pernicious; it encourages us to construct an idealised image or aesthetic of ourselves which we project online. Whether we like it or not, we are all advertisers, and the brand is ourselves.

The Winter Arc trend exemplifies this problem. The very existence of these viral videos show that completing the challenge is not just about improving ourselves for our own sake. It’s equally about showing the world the idealised versions of ourselves.

So, my grudge with the Winter Arc starts with its performative nature. And who does that benefit? Influencers gain social capital, but apart from that, the answer is social media companies and the advertising industry.

The individualism problem

My second gripe with the Winter Arc, as with a lot of self-improvement trends, is seeing wellness through the lens of individualism. It’s about what you can do for yourself. Psychologists have known for decades now that our feelings of happiness, security and wellbeing are linked to the production of hormones in the body. Oxytocin and endorphins, two of the most critical, are linked to our social environments. They are built through connecting with other people, laughing, physical touch and exercising, and eating with other people. Endorphins also double as the body’s natural pain reliever, meaning contact with people we love is mentally, and literally, healing.

“Whether we like it or not, we are all advertisers, and the brand is ourselves”

Yet, so much of the online self-improvement industry ignores this fact. It tells us to isolate, focus on ourselves, and look inwards. Considering what we know about humans, this is a really dangerous message. Wellbeing is not achieved by focusing purely on ourselves. What’s most important is building a social support network, and serving and supporting each other in the community we’ve built (whatever that looks like).

The prudence problem

My last grudge is pretty simple… what happened to Christmas?! When the days are short and dark, and we are burnt out from a long term and usually unwell, I, for one, refuse to be told to work harder. Christmas and New Year are all about indulgence, gifting, eating too much chocolate and watching rubbish TV. It is, for me, anyway, about letting go after a long year. So, this year, my Winter Arc will look like this: like a hedgehog fattening itself up to hibernate for the winter, I’m choosing to fill my cup up with Christmas merriment, relaxation and booze, so that when January rolls around I’m ready to do it all over again.