TikTok Videos Are Referencing October Theory on TikTok, but What Is It?

Being on TikTok almost certainly means that, at some point, you're going to come across a word or phrase that you have never seen before, and need help understanding what it means. Unfortunately, the nature of TikTok sometimes means that those sorts of straightforward answers aren't as readily available as they probably should be.

The latest version of this is "October Theory," a new phrase that has popped up on the platform to align with the arrival of October. If you're confused about what this phrase means and why it's suddenly everywhere, we've got you covered. Here's what we know about what the phrase means.

TikTok users have spent some time focused on particular days in October, but "October Theory" is a trend that refers to the whole month. As it turns out, it's meant to suggest that some people feel about October the way most people feel about January. They want to treat it as a month when they can reset themselves and get the chance to try new things, or better themselves in some other way.

The theory also encourages people to practice more financial responsibility, or start a new fitness routine, or do something else so that they can end the year on a high note and come into the holiday season feeling their best. The idea is also reflective of a mindset that is designed to bring about lasting changes that a person can carry into their lives in 2025 and beyond.

All that might sound a little vague, but that's because "October Theory" appears to mean many different things to various people all over TikTok. For some it might mean making coffee at home every day instead of going to Starbucks, and for others it might mean going on a short run a couple of times a week to feel better about personal fitness. Every TikTok user is using the phrase to come up with their own goals and is then sharing those goals on the platform.

There are plenty of theories circulating on TikTok at any given moment, but most of them are more grounded in some wild claim like giving a person a pair of shoes will make them leave your life, or that an orange peel signifies something about a person's relationship.

This isn't the first time that these month related "theories" have popped up on TikTok, though, and it seems like each one is about how you should handle a specific month.

October is apparently a time to ready yourself for the months ahead, including the holidays and the changing of the seasons. Of course, don't put too much pressure on yourself to make big changes. As anyone who advocates for "October Theory" will tell you, this month is all about finding small ways to change your life that will make a big difference in the long term.