You’ve probably heard from your parents or older relatives the endless 9-to-5 benefits: the stability, the medical insurance, career development and so on. So,
The Routine
The routine of a 9-to-5 live is probably the most controversial benefit of this list. I know I have a love-hate (more ‘hate’, honestly) relationship with the 9-to-5, but I try to see the positive aspect of it, instead of loosing my mind completely.
Having a routine can lower your stress levels, give you better sleep and overall improve your health, as this article shows. We are talking about healthy routines like having a fruit each day, going for a run in the morning, walking your doggo during the lunch break and so on. Smoking after lunch is also a routine, but not a healthy one on long-term. I think I made myself clear that this is about the ‘good stuff’ in your life.
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Even though you might feel like the 9-to-5 routine is killing you slowly and your life is fast passing by, take a moment to re-think it.
Make a short list with all the healthy habits you achieved during adapting to the eight hours working schedule.
For me, for example, it would be having home cooked breakfast and lunch, finally having some sort of a skin care routine in the morning and reading for about an hour each day while commuting. I’d say that pretty good for a routine that feels like sucking the life out of you. How does your list look like?
The Team and Community
This can also be debatable because you can have the shittiest team workers ever – which means you probably should consider a new job. Just saying.
I can’t work in a team that does not somehow share my life values and overall conception
Each company has different values and they get involved in social activities as well. If you somehow ‘vibrate’ with these actions and values, chances are you will feel much better about your job than most people do.
The Learning Cycle
This is probably the one benefit of the 9-to-5 life that you can’t find in a freelance career.
You work in a team, where each individual is specialized (or should be, at least) in a certain field. You can learn so much from them, as a professional, but as a human being as well. Expand your knowledge and network, even if you won’t be working colleagues
The Social ‘Life’
You probably think “but there’s no social like when you’re living the 9-to-5 live!”. I tend to agree, somehow. After a horrible day at work, you don’t have the energy to go out for drinks. You don’t have to always have the time, energy and money for some socializing.
But that quick chat you have over a coffee break, the jokes you share while you meet in the bus, the experiences you share during the lunch break – they still count as socializing. You don’t get to do this too much if you work from home on a daily basis.
Of course, this implies you have at least one co-worker you get along with. If there’re more, the fun piles up.
9-to-5 life doesn’t have to be all horrible, lacking energy and good company. After all, I truly believe we get to see only one part in things we encounter. Just because mostly everyone totally hates and complains about the 9-to-5, it doesn’t mean it has to be your reality as well.
Quick tip: don’t share that you like the 9-to-5 – or even worst, that you love it. People will think you’re crazy. You don’t have to fit in their reality, only in yours.
Stay positive and let me know what you like/love about the 9-to-5 life in the comments below!
18 comments
being disabled, i do miss the social life of a career. 🙁 great list of benefits!!
Joy at http://www.thejoyousliving.com
Great points! I am having a hard time going back to work after having my kids and you have reminded me that there ARE benefits to the 9 to 5. It’s easy to forget. Thanks!
My favorite thing is, well use to be my coworkers who became my family. I’ve realised I’m less and less wanting to hold down a 9-5 as my dream is to work for myself. Still in progress so until that happens, I’m in office 5 days a week. Thanks for the perspective.
I did the 9-5 thing for well over a decade and I sometimes look back and think of all these things. Some days I feel like I was more productive those days!
It’s so funny you wrote about this because I’m coming up on my one year anniversary WITHOUT the 9-5 and I was thinking of all these things! I think I miss the routine more than I ever dreamed possible, but I appreciate everything I’m able to do now. And the social life. I never realized just how much I cared about catching up with people on a Monday morning. Haha
Really great points brought up. Ive worked as freelance and a 9-to-5 so I see the benefits of both. But it really just depends on the individual and whether they like setting up their own routine or like more structure.
I agree, it depends of a lot of factors. But in the end it’s up to us which side of the coin we want to see.
These are great points! I can definitely see pros and cons of 9-5 and non 9-5s!
I agree with a lot of these observations! Now that I work for myself, I do miss the camaraderie of my teammates in a physical office. I have to make extra effort to maintain relationships with bloggers in my city who are just like “coworkers” if you think about it, really.
Great post..I have always been a person that loves a schedule!
I work a 9-5 so I can totally relate, The learning cycle for me is what makes it so worth it!!! There is so much knowledge to gain from working in a team oriented environment as opposed to working alone.
I actually love still having a work schedule. I think I will always have some type of job even if it’s part time!!
I totally agree! Sometimes, being a freelancer can be so lonely
I don’t really hate 9-5 (or 7-3 in my case). That’s probably because I love my job. That helps 🙂
I totally understand this perspective, I’m a person who loves routine and schedules. Having predictability is calming for me.
Thank you for this article! I’m about to graduate from college and I’m kind of nervous when I think about having to adjust to a post college life.
xoxo,
Sabina
sabiithefirst.com
I find myself missing my 9-to-5 so much sometimes. I recently moved to Ohio and stared working as a preschool teacher. My days are so different now, and since I’m in a classroom by myself, I don’t get the camaraderie I had when I was working my office job. My co-workers knew more about me than my friends outside of work did. Everyone always talks about trying to get out of the 9-to-5, but I appreciate the routine, and I definitely miss certain elements of it.
I have a 9-5 (actually a 10-6 technically) and I LOVE it! I work in radio, and it’s so fulfilling for me to have my day job be what I went to school for. 🙂
xoxo A
http://www.southernbelleintraining.com