“The Great Lock-In” has become fall’s catchphrase—a September-through-December sprint to clean up sleep, screen time, fitness, finances, and work habits before year-end. The trend has seen a swift rise on TikTok and Instagram, where creators post rule sets that include weekly workout minimums, cold showers, nine-hour sleep targets, strict screen-time caps, and the elimination of alcohol and ultra-processed foods, as chronicled by the Washington Post.

There’s a workplace angle, too.

“Gen Z professionals are rewriting the rules for how to get ahead at work,” Amanda Augustine, a certified professional career coach and spokesperson for the job search platform Career.io, said. “They’re intentional about how they spend their time, focused on building skills, and becoming resilient in the face of uncertainty.”

Financial goals are also part of the script. Investopedia reports creators applying the “Lock In” approach to build holiday savings, automate transfers, kill high-interest debt, and swap doom-scrolling for higher-leverage financial learning.

Still, smart guardrails keep the “Lock-In” from turning into a burnout arc:

• Sleep: Adults need at least seven hours; nine isn’t a universal target. Prioritize consistency and quality over a fixed (and often unrealistic) number.
• Hydration: Over-drinking can be risky. Endurance guidelines commonly land around 0.4–0.8 L/hour, with electrolytes as conditions warrant.
• Screen time: Smartphones are nearly universal (about 91% of U.S. adults own one), so practical tactics (timers, batching notifications, app limits) beat all-or-nothing bans.
• Mental health: Structure helps until it becomes fixation. Jennifer Kelman, LCSW, Mental Health Expert, Therapist & Licensed Social Worker emphasizes that “having routines that may help one to look their best and feel their best aren’t necessarily a problem. But when it takes over […] that’s when it can become a problem.”

If “locking in” helps you protect time for what matters—sleep, the gym, studying, saving, or just logging off—great. Keep goals realistic, personalize the rules, and remember that consistency beats extremes.