What is it about the month of September that makes you want to lock in and go after everything you desire because it's already yours?
Maybe it's the promise of a new season, fall pulling up with its crisp leaves, warm tones, and softer winds. Maybe it's the shift into the busy season as Q3 and Q4 enter the chat. Maybe it's the discipline and determination we've come to associate with Virgo energy doing its thing.
Whatever the case, TikTok is making sure we have everything we need to "lock in" for the rest of the year. Heralded as "The Great Lock In," TikTok's latest wellness trend is the collective reset designed to transform your life by December.
If you've been seeing the phrase pop up on your FYP, here's a quick breakdown of The Great Lock-In and how you can make the rising wellness trend work for you.
What Is The Great Lock In?
The Great Lock In Wellness Trend, Explained.
TikTok creators define "The Great Lock In" as a 17-week journey, taking place from September 1 to December 31. Think of it as a not-so-distant relative to the wellness trend concepts of 75 Hard/75 Soft or last year's viral Winter Arc. The Great Lock In is all about re-programming your mind to reprogram your life.
As one TikTok creator, @_tatianaforbes explained in her TikTok, "It's all programming your mind to go hard for a sprint of time. It's not meant to be forever. But it's meant to be this time where you put forth immense effort in some area of your life."
That area could be your finances, fitness, sleep habits, or even your personal style. And while The Great Lock In is framed as a "sprint," the true W is establishing the powerful habits you build along the way, the ones that shift your mindset, setting the tone for your physical or mental transformation. The name of the game is focus. And what you focus on, you magnify, creating space for radical change that feels bigger than your average glow-up.
@_tatianaforbes/TikTok
The Great Lock In Rules
The Rules of Engagement
So how does one lock in to The Great Lock In? The concept itself might sound intense, but the rules of engagement are more straightforward than you'd think. If you're ready to commit, here are some of the most common "rules" TikTok creators like @silkx.co are swearing by during this end of the year sprint:
- 90 days of pure discipline
- Wake up by 5 a.m.
- Go to bed by 9 p.m.
- Work out 5-6 times a week
- Take 10,000 steps daily
- Read 10 pages of a book daily
- Drink 3 liters of water daily
- Max protein intake goals daily
- Write 3 things you're grateful for
- No fast food
- No sugar
- No alcohol
- No excuses
- Eliminate distractions
- Focus on yourself
@silkx.co/TikTok
How To Make The Great Lock In Work For You
You don't have to do all of the rules of The Great Lock In to see results by December 31. We want to level up and thrive, not burnout in survival mode. Yes, this is a 17-week sprint to transformation, but it doesn't mean you have to box yourself in self-improvement hell. Like author James Clear reminds us in the ultimate self-development book, Atomic Habits, "All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger."
TikTok creator @cloudsjoo echoes this approach to transformation, encouraging small, sustainable shifts versus a complete life overhaul from day one. Maybe you build toward 10,000 steps a day by starting off with a 30-minute walk per day. Or if you're rule is no fast food (physical) or no eating out (financial), a small step could look like cooking more meals at home each week and leaning more on meal prep.
The beauty of The Great Lock In lies in its flexibility. It's a framework for building systems that actually fit into your life long-term. Locking in doesn't mean perfection, it means commitment. It's choosing yourself through consistency and trusting that those small steps will lead to the glow-up you've been envisioning for your life.
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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