What is the ‘I gotta put me first’ TikTok trend?

Photos via TikTok

Creators are finally treating themselves with the latest TikTok trend.

The ‘I gotta put me first’ TikTok trend is all about self-care in its many forms. From indulging in those extra fries to declining an unwanted FaceTime call, the trend is prompting creators to put their own needs first for once.

What is the ‘I gotta put me first’ TikTok trend?

The audio for the ‘I Gotta Put Me First’ trend is taken from a season five episode of Empire, according to Seventeen. The clip features a quick audio bite of Cookie, a character played by Taraji P. Henson, speaking with her husband Lucious, played by Terrence Howard. In the scene, Cookie tearfully informs Lucious that she’s “gotta put me first.”

The audio quickly prompted a trend to form on TikTok, as creators use the sound to explain small ways in which they’ve been putting themselves first.

The trend includes a broad swath of examples, from posting an ugly picture of a friend because you look good in it to hanging up the phone so you can keep watching Netflix. Videos included in the trend are typically humorous but also provide some stellar examples of how to practice self-care.

There are quite a few ways to participate in the ‘Put Me First’ trend. Some of the entries are predictably dark, but most cover lighthearted topics like using the only charger or stealing the covers.

Unlike some of its darker or more dangerous trends, the ‘I gotta put me first’ TikTok trend is wholesome through and through. Its use of a trend to encourage self-care will hopefully encourage more users to take that final fry, head to bed early, or toss down that +4 in their next Uno match.

Sometimes, you’ve gotta put yourself first.