It’s no secret that TikTok is shaping many areas in the real world: from beauty trends to dating advice, it seems like everyone’s seen a video on TikTok that has changed the way they look at a situation. Yet, as is often the case, not all that glitters is gold, and not everything that is sold to you as ‘healthy’ is necessarily so…
One of the latest trends to blow up on TikTok is the Winter Arc one, which sees adopters use the last three months of the year to set their fitness goals and work on them before the masses pull up their socks as part of their New Year’s resolutions.
The idea behind this is that the darkest time of the year can be a great moment to hyper-focus on those things we’ve always wanted, in particular a beautiful and healthy body. Yet, as psychologists have pointed out, this trend does come with some potential pitfalls.
For a start, they have reminded people doing the Winter Arc that their goals should be kept sustainable and achievable. After all, you’re more likely to succeed if you set a realistic goal.
Secondly, they have pointed out that while the Winter Arc calls for ‘hyper-focus’—with some users even going as far as telling their followers to avoid dating or meeting friends—the reality is that isolating oneself is likely to lead to other issues, including deteriorating mental health.
Thirdly, it’s important not to push yourself too far. Trying to juggle a full-time job, the upkeep of a home, a social life, and regular exercise is understandably not easy. While all of these things are imperative to a happy and healthy life, sleep and relaxation should not be cast aside.
So, in other words, while the Winter Arc is a great way to set your mind to achieving your fitness goals, it should not be done at the cost of everything else. As always, balance is the key to long-term success.