Nearly every day for the past two months, Liv Jordan has woken up at 5:45 a.m., journaled and completed a cardio workout before breakfast. By the end of the day, she has made sure to hit at least 10,000 steps.
Her three-month routine, meant to kick-start new wellness habits, is called the Winter Arc, and Ms. Jordan is among the participants who have been posting on social media about how it has helped them make the most of the cold, dreary months at the end of the year. From October to January, they set out to get a head start on their New Year’s resolutions and develop lasting, foundational practices.
“It created a sense of routine for me,” said Ms. Jordan, 22, who runs a fitness and wellness account on TikTok. She incorporated other daily habits, too, including a 9 p.m. bedtime and going to the gym four to five times a week.
“Instead of just going to the gym whenever and scrolling on my phone, and mindlessly consuming so much social media,” she said, “I was able to really dial in on who I want to be, and who I want to become in the future.”
Experiences with the Winter Arc are filling TikTok and Instagram feeds, with moody videos of walks through the snow to the gym, predawn push-ups or cleaning and nighttime routines at home. The most avid Arc followers stick to daily challenges (and some get more extreme, even shaving their heads — more on that later). There are videos that help people get started at any time during the three-month period.