How Having A '9-To-5' Job Makes It Hard To Do The 8 ‘Basic’ Tasks That Actually Create A Quality Life
With such limited free time, the hours you have after work must be cherished.
DimaBerlin | Shutterstock If you have a 9 to 5 job, and work Monday through Friday, you spend almost 24% of your week at work. Take into account the time spent sleeping and commuting, and you're left with even fewer hours of free time.
Yamna Irfan, an entrepreneur, content creator, and former corporate worker, highlighted this very point in a post to Instagram Threads, insisting that the hours spent at her corporate job interfered with her ability to do "basic everyday things."
She revealed how having a '9 to 5' job makes it difficult to do 'basic' tasks that improve quality of life.
"My corporate job made it difficult for me to do basic everyday things that every human needs and I had accepted that as my 'normal,'" she wrote. "Here’s a list of things that are either 'normal' or necessities for a quality life that corporate makes hard to achieve."
Alina Bitta | Shutterstock
The first, she explained, was taking the time to work out, whether by going to the gym or exercising at home. Although she was aware that exercise would "improve her physical health and mental well-being," she struggled to find the motivation. With so few hours of free time, she didn't want to sacrifice a single one to work out.
"Having breakfast in the morning while being present in the moment, and not while driving to work or while in a meeting," Irfan continued on her list. "Spending time preparing and enjoying nutritious meals to fuel your body. Pursuing a side gig or passion project without the fear of coworkers or peers judging you."
Fifth on her list was "taking rest days without a major excuse or reason," something corporate culture has instilled in many as unacceptable. Her corporate 9 to 5 also affected her ability to get her desired 9 to 10 hours of sleep or spend any amount of time on "activities that promote mental well-being," like hobbies or therapy.
Finally, she said, her corporate job prevented her from starting her own business, which, while not "basic" or a "necessity," greatly improved her quality of life.
Many people online empathized with the worker, admitting that their 9-to-5 jobs also interfere with their ability to complete basic tasks.
Content creator Miriam Tinberg shared her reaction to Irfan's Threads post on TikTok.
"I think about this all the time," she said, admitting that she related deeply to Irfan's points. "I quit my full-time job in January, and I'm so privileged to be able to take this mini-sabbatical. And I cannot tell you how much my relationship has changed to my entire life, to my existence without this job."
"There are just things that I pathologized about my personality, that I just assumed was who I am and how I was built, that I'm realizing now, as I unravel myself from my 9 to 5, was just because of my job," she continued.
For example, Tinberg used to believe she didn't enjoy cooking. But with no corporate job and way more free time, she realized that she likes cooking, just not "when it's smashed between things and I'm feeling protective of my one hour or 30 minutes of free time a day." The same goes for working out.
“Now without a job, I do not feel as protective or defensive of my time, and I feel much more generous with it,” she added. “I want to work out because I have so many more hours left.”
Many employees find the 9-to-5 workday unnecessary.
Among U.S. workers, over 75% say they could complete their current workload in a four-day workweek rather than five, according to a report from Fiverr.
Many Gen Z workers, specifically, want shorter work days, with some suggesting a 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. schedule.
With a demanding 9-to-5 workday, it can be difficult to find even an ounce of time for yourself. Many people feel they need to dedicate every hour to work, and once it's finished, the only thing they want to do is dissociate and bed rot for the rest of the night.
Shorter workdays would allow individuals more time to complete the basic tasks Irfan mentioned, like cooking a healthy meal or working out. As a result, their quality of life would improve greatly, and those who are happy and satisfied outside work are shown to be more productive and focused at the office.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.