What is the October theory? TikTok users allege major life changes this month

‘October genuinely feels like the beginning of the year,’ one TikTok comment reads

‘October theory’ is viewed as a second New Year’s Day (TikTok/@chloevanberkel/@mindandbodymamas)

The start of October signals the first full month of autumn, along with the beginning of the school year and preparations for the holidays. But TikTok has ushered in a new mindset amid the beginning of the new month.

Many users across the platform have increasingly been posting about the “October theory,” and what that means for the rest of the year. According to Chloe Van Berkel, a content creator with nearly 70k followers on TikTok, October is almost like New Year’s Day. The month kicks off the start of the fourth quarter of the year, as she described October as a reflective period in which people look back on their year to see what they’ve accomplished.

For some people, “October theory” serves as an alarm to make certain changes before the year is over. One TikToker named Monica described the month as a time when people “decide what things need to be set into motion,” such as committing to a new relationship or starting a new job.

“It’s almost like this nudge when you’re at the edge of a cliff to take the leap and do the thing,” she said.

Van Berkel pointed out how fast the last few months of the year tend to feel, as the holiday season begins with Halloween and suddenly stops after New Year’s Day. “This is going to be the time when people are going to be making a lot of big life changes, a lot of major life decisions, and a lot of canon events will be happening for a lot of different people at this time,” she said in her video.

What’s more, October marks the start of the cuffing season – a time when people scramble to enter relationships ahead of the cold winter months. “Cuffing season” describes the period during autumn and winter months, when singletons find themselves seeking to be “cuffed” or “tied down” by a serious relationship, or just a short-term one that lasts until Abor Day.

“People are realizing that they want a special someone to spend the holidays with,” Van Berkel added. “So you’ll definitely see a lot of new couples around this time.”

Not only does “October theory” encourage people to make these self-improvements, but it seems that lot of people have followed through with them. Thousands of users on TikTok have since shared that they agree with the “October theory,” noting how the month feels like a mental reset for them as well.

“October genuinely feels like the beginning of the year, maybe it’s just because October is my birthday month so naturally it feels like the beginning of a new year but idk,” one comment read, while another person explained how they view fall in the way others view spring – as a period of new beginnings and growth.

“The fall is my spring. The leaves change, and the air becomes crisp. A new school year is starting,” they said.