You've seen the LinkedIn updates from the hustle culture crew: not content with smashing the 9 to 5 work day, now they're perfecting their 5 to 9 as well.
It's all about a post-work productivity period where instead of slumping on the couch to watch four back-to-back hours of Netflix, you might meal prep for the week, work out, listen to an inspiring business podcast or self-help book, or work on your side hustle.
And if that sounds exhausting, it's because it is. What 5 to 9 actually represents is a toxic always-on culture that tells people they need to be doing more, all the time. If they are not constantly productive, goes the theory, they are failing.
Of course, being so busy and always on can very quickly lead to burnout.
This has its own set of downsides around mental and physical health as well as leading to the workplace phenomena of "quiet quitting", for example.
It's very easy to feel like you should be doing more, all of the time, and that evenings, weekends and vacations are also times to pack in extra work, learning or keeping fit.
The truth is it's perfectly okay to have downtime in which you do, well, absolutely nothing. It's also a great idea to look at how you work, when you work best, and the times in which you are most productive.
While a 9 to 5 working day suits many people, it's not easy for lots of workers to maintain productivity across that entire period. Some people find that they fly through tasks in the morning, and experience a slump in productivity towards the afternoon, and vice versa.
Work smarter
Working smarter, not harder, is one solution. Finding when you are most productive and working in those slots can lead to deeper concentration and better work outcomes. The rise in flexible working has already given many financial institutions and wider industry pause for thought.
While asynchronous work––or a follow the sun model, with people across global time zones––is now common in many big companies, less accepted is the idea of allowing people to work according to their own body clocks, or circadian rhythms.
This is what is known as "chronoworking", and touchy-feely it may seem, but there are benefits.
In particular, tailoring your schedule around those times when you have natural energy highs and lows can do a couple of things. There is the potential to enhance your output, but it can also improve the sentiment you have for your job, and elevate your overall well-being.
Convincing your company that this is the way forward may take some doing, however. If your employer is entrenched in a 9 to 5 mindset and there's no way to change that, then a new role could be something to consider.
If you'd like to look at a company where flexible work is more than just a box-ticking exercise, check out the
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