Perks of Working a Traditional 9-5
In the age of hustle culture, working a 9-5 has become synonymous with failing at life. Rather than making ends meet, the general population are encouraged to create their own businesses and follow their dreams. While my personal goals happen to fall in line with the new expectations, a 9-5 job is not as negative as social media has made it out to be. Here are some perks of working a 9-5 that are not talked about online:
- Set schedule
Outside of the times where an employee may be asked to stay late, office jobs generally have a set schedule. This allows the company’s employees to make plans outside of work. While brunch may be off of the table five days a week, a family dinner can be counted on to work into a normal schedule.
- Set payday
In a typical 9-5, employees can count on a paycheck being deposited into their bank account weekly or bi-weekly. This makes it easier to create a budget and pay bills on time. On the flip side, freelancing is more sporadic. It is impossible to predict when somebody will order a product or service you are providing.
- Company benefits
Good companies offer their employees benefits. This can be anything from health insurance to reimbursing gym memberships. These benefits work as a bonus for being employed with the company. It may seem trivial at first glance, but any perk is worth taking into consideration.
- Socializing
If an employee is working in an office setting, they are going to interact with their coworkers often. This gives workers an opportunity to socialize in a comfortable setting. Socializing is important when it comes to staying healthy.
- Provides structure to each day
Since a 9-5 requires employees to work the same shift each day, it provides structure to their schedules. This encourages a healthy sleeping pattern since workers know exactly when they are expected into work each day. If going to sleep at ten o’clock provides you with enough sleep for your shift on Monday, it will likely provide you with enough sleep for your shift on Tuesday as well.
I say all of this not to discourage anybody from following their dreams, but to encourage people to feel happy with where they currently are. Every job has a purpose and workers should not feel negatively about their lives because of new social media trends. Following your dreams is great, but it is not a cut and dry process. Long hours, thick skin, and luck come into play when it comes to making dreams come true. For some people that risky lifestyle is not an option.
Fitting in time to work on your dreams outside of a work schedule may increase the amount of time it takes to make those dreams a reality. However it is better for dreams to come true late than never. Sometimes life is better taken one step at a time where you can adjust your actions based on your current results.
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