Your very own in-hand therapist is at your service.
Gen Z’s most overused ‘dance app’—isn’t that what we all call it?—is a little more than just a few jazzy moves thrown across your screen. It’s actually a place to get some good soul-searching done. This platform has been helping many Gen Z folk cope with their extensive 9-to-5s. Sounds hysterical? Don’t believe me? Then you should probably stay put.
Many users across the platform have stepped in to offer a helping hand to those troubled with corporate survival instructions so they can “stay sane”, as they have voiced their growing concerns about getting tired of their 8-hour shifts. They’ve also mentioned that these jobs are “soul-crushing” and “depressing”.
Now you’re probably thinking why Gen Z always has something or the other to complain about, but hold your horses; these youngins could be revealing some things that their older pals have chosen to keep in the dark for a long time.
Embracing hustle culture
TikTok is the virtual hub for go-getters, dreamers, and hard workers. If you’re doubting this statement, this might change your mind. Creators have been putting forward their personal experiences, what they have learned, and how others can put in the effort and stay dedicated at the workplace even when it’s tough.
Tim Whitehead, better known on TikTok as @thecareergodfather, released a video offering tips for employees of all ages on how to manage the 9–5 job. He advised professionals to carefully consider if they are qualified for a particular position.
“All corporate jobs are not bad but you need to make sure you’re a good fit in a corporate environment. If you’re not, you’re gonna hate your existence,” he said.
He cautioned the viewers that advancing to more senior roles in the company will result in greater flexibility. He went on to say, “Remember to look after your mental and emotional well-being. Avoid allowing these jobs to drive you insane, as they will if you let them”.
How to be the master of time management
Time management is one of the most important abilities needed for a 9-to-5 work arrangement. Anyone who has ever hurried to meet a deadline and perspired anxiously can relate to it. Finding ways to get better, however, can be quite difficult if you’re having trouble completing tasks on time.
Quick clips on TikTok that offer useful advice on maximising work hours are proving to be a gem in this case. Gen Z has a wide range of time management techniques at their disposal to fit their preferences and increase productivity, ranging from using productivity apps to applying the Pomodoro technique.
A lot of work can be done very quickly if you use the Pomodoro technique correctly. You can retrain your brain to focus and avoid all of those self-interruptions. Every break provides an opportunity to refocus and return your concentration to the subject at hand, ensuring that you remain focused and productive.
The trick: screen breaks every hour
Earlier this year, Jessica Ollerenshaw shared on TikTok her “top tips to stay sane” while working a 9–5 job. When Ollerenshaw uploaded the video, she had been working at her first job for just over a month.
Ollerenshaw suggests taking a stroll, extending your legs, and striking up a conversation with coworkers during breaks to decompress, particularly if you spend your whole workday seated at a computer.
She said, “I like to set little rewards for myself.” “Whenever I’ve done about two hours or three hours of work, I’ll go get a nice caramel latte or have a biscuit—just some little rewards to get you through the day”.
Additionally, she advises taking 45 to 60-minute screen breaks, as it helps efficiency, productivity, and overall mental health and well-being.
Initiate the deleting process—Teams and work emails? Get them off your personal mobile
A London influencer, who goes by @ellsatthedisco on TikTok, stated that removing work-related apps from your personal phone, such as Teams, Slack, and emails, is the influencer’s top recommendation.
According to her proposal, “your employer should have no trouble providing you with a work phone to access them outside of working hours”. Checking all of those as though they were social networking apps makes you unaware of the harm you’re causing yourself.
By using Instagram, TikTok, Teams, Slack, and emails constantly, whether you realise it or not, your entire identity will be based on work before you know it.
She then added that she can speak from experience, saying that you will be thinking about, talking about, and dreaming about work as a constant.
Be on schedule—come and go on time
Making sure you arrive and depart on schedule is her next piece of advice for getting by in a 9-to-5 job.
“Your work will be there tomorrow and for the remainder of your week,” she said. We don’t have much free time, so it should be spent on ourselves”, she says. Time is something that cannot be purchased, so we must deal with it sensitively. “I would decline overtime to have time for myself at the end of the day, to do whatever I needed to”, the TikToker went on to share.
Closing thoughts
TikTok is more than simply lip-syncing and dancing challenges, so keep that in mind as you start your 9-to-5 career. It’s a goldmine of knowledge, counsel, and support from a community that will help you through all the ups and downs of growing up. Gen Z, keep up the good work! One workday at a time, TikTok will support you as you take on the world. Cheers to mastering the 9-5 marathon!
(Tashia Bernardus)