TikTok’s 5 to 9 grind is burning out Gen Z even after hours

TikTok’s viral 5 to 9 routines promise peak productivity and balance. But for Gen Z, they may be fueling burnout instead.

Some of us take being morning people to the extreme. Up at 5 a.m. Daily goals. Matcha latte. Scroll. True Crime podcast. Pilates. And onto work.

And others like to reclaim the evening by romanticizing chopping vegetables, having a “no-spend day” and then ordering Thai food.

So, the 5 to 9 “routine” is about maximizing your time, but the trend is a little confusing, as it can be applied to both morning and evening.

As an idealized form of work-life balance, the last couple of years have seen a surge of influencers showcasing their routines.

But is it any different from what we’ve always done?

“The grind” applied aesthetically

Since the pandemic, work-life integration has perhaps been the more dominant lifestyle, with much of the day feeling gridlocked due to corporate demands.

A Talker research poll found that the peak of burnout now happens at around 25 years old for a spectrum of Gen Z to millennials, whereas in the past it used to be 42 years old.

The pressure to be everything all at once is where the problem lies, with hustle culture so ramped up, that the documenting of an 8 p.m. face mask makes all the more sense.

The “always on” culture can be aesthetically packaged to make dropping dissolving minerals into bottled water and working out at the gym look desirable – if it’s done to microhouse, as viral influencer @mylesburnettt did.

@mylesburnettt peaceful ones #5to9 #finance #london #worklife ♬ BUTTERFLIES - Isaiah Falls & Joyce Wrice

Same stress, different day

Softer filters don’t mean less anxiety though. A different influencer has pushed back at this airbrushed approach with a very ordinary post.

@Jenspective shows a more run-of-the-mill way of revealing a similar lifestyle, as she has a shower at work and then the oven roasts meat and broccoli to plain silence and no music.

@jenspective My “5 to 9” after my “7 to 5” as a trader in London #trader #trading #finance #financegirl #corporatelife #corporategirlies #corporategirl #5to9 #5to9afterthe9to5 #eveninginmylife ♬ original sound - nicole

Even when the compartmentalization feels “wholesome,” the messiness of daily life usually doesn’t make the cut.

And whether you’re a morning bird or night owl, whether or not we have to optimise every hour is a serious question that needs asking.