The laptop is closed, and it’s off to the gym. A trip to the shop for ingredients. A healthy, homemade meal for two. Cleaning and washing up. Shower time: luxury products, skincare, maybe even a hair mask. Candles, journalling, and finally, bed.
No, this isn’t some perfect film scene; this is TikTok’s latest productivity trend. I’d thought (and hoped) that I’d seen the last of her, but the newest reincarnation of ‘That Girl’ and toxic hustle culture is here – how many chances does this girl get?
Named the 5 to 9 trend, videos involve users filming their post-work routines with an emphasis on how to make the most of your time after signing off from the 9 to 5 working life.
One TikTok user begins her take on this trend by tidying her living room and hoovering before emptying the dishwasher and opening a cookbook. She then prepares a healthy-looking, appetising, homemade meal for two – although her dinner partner doesn’t seem to lend a hand. She finishes the video by washing up and cleaning the kitchen until it sparkles.
A deep-dive into the new phenomenon
Now, I don’t know about you, but my evening routine definitely does not look like this. Think more like joggers, a delicious meal, TV and a massive bowl of ice cream for pudding – I’m That Girl's worst nightmare. Scrolling through the comments on videos like these, it seems most agree that this lifestyle is unusually productive.
“So productive. I love it”, says one user, while another simply asks, “are you not exhausted”?
In reality, all the 5 to 9 trend promotes is a life of hyper-productivity. A quick Google search tells us that being hyperproductive is when an individual is excessively productive to the point that it leads to burnout.
“Unrealistic routines like the 5 to 9 trend on the surface looks really healthy,” suggests Jessica Brewer, founder of Emiz HR & Coaching, “but it is still about making your downtime productive — creating healthy meals, creating the perfect house, working out, journaling — it creates a pressure to conform and feel like you’re not enough.”
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Women have experienced this type of societal pressure before with the ‘That girl’ aesthetic (think green juices, iced coffees, hot girl walks), selling a prescriptive routine of self-improvement. Hint: these routines don’t work. The 5 to 9 trend sees women doing chores and preparing for the next working day and sells it as productivity ‘goals’.
“People start to believe that it is a sustainable way to live and then go ahead and test it out regularly,” explains certified positive psychologist Dawn Baxter, “but what will happen is people will burn out.”
In a capitalist society that romanticises the working life and maximising your potential, the 5 to 9 trend glamourises certain activities over others. Each video shows gym classes, food shopping, cleaning or cooking rather than simple activities prioritising rest after a full working day. Sure, filming yourself having a nap, reading a book or watching TV doesn’t make a very interesting video and won’t make you a TikTok star, but having evenings that are less productive in capitalist terms is most beneficial to our health.
“The reason why certain tasks and activities feel like they sit in a hierarchy again comes down to us deciding as a society that it is much more valuable for somebody to do a skincare routine or meal prep is because you are prepping yourself for the following day,” explains Baxter. “Instead of creating these unsustainable models of perfection, start doing what feels good and right for you.”
What appears most concerning about some of these videos is the glamourisation of the traditional housewife role. Some women seem to perform chore after chore, cooking a healthy meal for two without their partner lending a helping hand. 5 to 9 videos impact young women by setting up hyper productivity as a badge of honour. It’s almost a way to boast about having your life together and being a superwoman, one who is nurturing and fulfils the traditional housewife role on top of a 40-hour working week…that’s a definite no from me.
Micro-influencer Sophia Agricola (@sophiaagricola) runs a lifestyle account alongside working a 9 to 5 as a Media Marketing Executive and explains how these trends impact herself and her followers.
“Some I do enjoy watching and getting inspiration from,” she admits, “but it can make you feel like you’ve been really sluggish and lazy if you haven’t got up to the things an influencer is doing.”
Influencers often feel pressured to conform to the ‘That Girl’ aesthetic to gain more views and followers, which makes the 5 to 9 trend all the more problematic.
“I actually very much doubt these influencers are productive every day,” Agricola reflects, preferring to focus on posting the content she enjoys rather than conforming to trends. “We shouldn’t push ourselves to be productive if we just don’t fancy it [...] rest is key to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
I, for one, am tired of the toxic hustle culture and – shock, horror – am worn out after a day of commuting, walking from station to office, being productive all day and then returning home to cook myself dinner.
5 to 9 videos that are jam-packed with jobs after a literal all-day job promote an unsustainable lifestyle. So, next time you feel worn out after a hard day at work, change into those comfies, put on some TV and order a pizza. The washing can wait until tomorrow.
Megan is a freelance journalist with a background in food, fitness and lifestyle writing. As well as working in editorial positions at volunteer digital platforms, she is freelancing alongside joining the class of 2023 at City, University of London, where she will complete a masters in Magazine Journalism. Previously, she has interned at SquareMeal as well as having bylines in Stylist’s Strong Women.
