Is TikTok’s Slowmaxxing “Great Lock-In” Trend the Antidote to End-of-Summer Sadness?

You might’ve noticed that a shift is afoot, or perhaps you’ve been too consumed by the chaotic news cycle (fair enough!) to clock the subtle changes in mood and movement. London, the site of so much summer excitement, seems to have slowed down; the trees are shedding their verdant leaves, and the rest of us are reaching for layers that, just a few weeks ago, seemed unimaginable to need.

In my household, where cosy season is treated with the utmost respect (my boyfriend has been trying to jumpstart ‘Cosy Boy Autumn’ as both a term and a way of life since 2021), incense is being swapped for candles, and throws are being hauled out of the attic. I’m about a week away from ordering some bath oils.

As an October baby, I like to think I’m hard-wired to appreciate autumn — a season historically associated with abundance thanks to harvest festival culture, which for me, quite literally manifests as a pile of presents on the 13th of October (hint, hint, nudge, nudge). Still, I’m not immune to that familiar pang of end-of-season sadness. As the sun sets on summer and we collectively edge away from the Aperol-fuelled spontaneity of last-minute plans, it’s natural to mourn what’s over.

But perhaps that’s where we’ve been going wrong, seeing September as the end of summer, rather than the start of autumn. Personally, I’m excited by the softer, more structured promise of the new season. Also, fashion-wise, autumn is a fantastic time of year — a season when, as I’ve written before, my friend insists “everyone can look hot.” And it’s not just the sartorially minded who are treated to a sense of newness (in the form of fashion month) either. A growing cultural current is urging us to celebrate what’s beginning: the September Reset.

Across TikTok, the “Great Lock-In” — also known as the “Winter Arc” — is trending as a kind of seasonal self-care manifesto. With over 620k hashtags and a 180% spike in Google searches in recent weeks, the Winter Arc trend is rebranding autumn as a personal growth era, and Gen Z is leading the charge. No shade intended (I am a millennial myself), but where my generation expressed autumnal aspirations via pumpkin spice and leaf-peeping (we’ll just skip past the whole Christian Girl Autumn aesthetic), Gen Z’s take on the September Reset is more focused: digital detoxes, goal-setting rituals, and cosy routines that honour slowness and structure.

It’s not all wellness planners and workouts either. On September 21, a solar eclipse occurred at the critical 29° Virgo degree, which astrologer Echo tells me is a potent astrological invitation to release perfectionism, overthinking, and outdated patterns. Think of it as a celestial declutter: an energetic sweep through your inner life. After all, why should cleaning be reserved for spring? “Just as we clear physical space to welcome something new, this moment invites us to release mental and emotional clutter,” Echo explains, and the timing couldn’t be more culturally resonant.

Online, the “Great Lock-In” is reshaping how we approach the colder months, drawing inspiration from Scandinavian wintering traditions and a more analogue approach to socialising. It’s part of a broader “Slowmaxxing” movement, one that blends wellness with discipline and prioritises sustainable self-improvement over burnout culture.

Culturally, this slowness is also being embraced offline. The rise of board game cafés and screen-free family nights speaks to a deeper longing for connection and presence. New research from tabletop games company Asmodee shows an uptick in people turning to games to ease everyday stress, with 52% of respondents saying they feel overwhelmed by the current global news cycle. In our always-on, doomscrolling culture, going analogue feels like a quiet rebellion, and one that aligns perfectly with the turn of the season.

For food writer Sophie Wyburd, the shift into autumn also plays out in the kitchen. “Cooking intuitively without pressure is one of my favourite ways to unwind,” she shares. Her weekend rituals, long, slow recipes like beef shin ragù or a crisp prosciutto and melon salad, mirror the wider cultural move toward slower, more intentional living. “It’s cooking purely for pleasure… and ensuring I always have quality ingredients on hand means I can still create something special, even when I’m tired or the days feel short.”

There’s a larger truth here: we’re collectively re-learning how to live seasonally, not just aesthetically, but holistically. Unlike the often-harried energy of January, the Autumn Reset isn’t about starting over with urgency; it’s about starting with intention. Tamu Thomas, life coach and author of Women Who Work Too Much, explains that biologically, our bodies are designed to synchronise with our environment. “We are hard-wired to respond to the seasons,” she says.

So rather than resist the end of summer, I encourage you to go full When Harry Met Sally mode and lean into the quiet opportunity of autumn. Slow down, reset, and scroll on for a few of my favourite ways to savour the lock-in.

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