Why We Don’t Need the 5–9 Trend
No, we don’t need a routine for everything.
If you’ve been here for a while, you know how I feel about self-care.
Taking care of ourselves is often seen as a selfish act. Something that only the most self-centred members of our society could ever justify making the time to do. You see flawless faces slathered in a clay mask by the light of an aromatherapy candle.
But that’s not what I’m talking about.
Self-care can be lots of things, and it can be nothing at all.
Self-care is more about the time you spend than how you spend it. Exercise can be self-care, food can be self-care, reading a book or knitting a sweater can be self-care.
With all this in mind, imagine my chagrin and horror when I discovered the “That Girl” trend on social media. Imagine my chagrin and horror intensified when I found the newest craze: the “5–9” routine.
I watched a couple of the videos tagged with this particular challenge, and I think I’ve got the gist: influencers explain how they spend the last few hours of their day. Scrubbing countertops, stir-frying veggies, applying skincare. There’s journaling, herbal tea, face masks and a good book.
Every single act could be seen as one of self-care. Maintaining an organized space, a calm state of mind, and a full belly. I love all of these things.
What I find so frustrating about this trend is that it sets the expectation that now not only is our morning supposed to be filled with self-improvement activities — exercise, journaling, meditation, eating ‘clean.’ That’s not enough. The only other block of free time most of us have, after work, should also be used in this way.
When are we supposed to have time for hobbies? Seeing friends? Simply existing? Why is the expectation that we must be occupied at all times of the day? It’s unrealistic. And I doubt it’s doing us any favours.
I’m sure that no one posting this trend intends on setting any expectations for their viewers. But I would love to see people just living. Routines are great, and they work wonders for our mental health, but do we need a routine for every single part of our day? Not every aspect of your day needs a routine.
In my post about soft fascination, I talked about the benefits of slowing down. I talked about how we need to take some time just to exist. Does every minute need to be blocked out, planned in, and productive? Just be alone with your thoughts. Bored.
Trends in the wellness space on Tiktok tell us the opposite. That being bored is lazy, or unproductive. But is free time that bad? Boredom can breed creativity and inspiration.
We need more bored, less busy.
