Many of us fear unemployment or dread the homework that comes with being a student, but the realities of a typical 9-to-5 job are not so glamorous either. Especially for those adjusting from university life to ‘adult’ life, it can often feel like we’re left with no time for ourselves at the end of the day. As someone who has just started her first full-time position, I found the inspiration for this blog post during one of my commutes to work: how could someone prepare themselves for working eight hours a day, and what can we do to unload some of the stress that comes with not having as much free time as we’d like?
So, I did some searching online.
First, I found an article by Georgina Elliott for Dazed that discusses how recent graduates are struggling to adapt to full-time work and offers tips for surviving their new jobs. In my opinion, one of the most important points that Elliott makes is this…
1. Make time for yourself.
It’s important to feel like you have a life outside of work (and an enjoyable one at that). But making time for yourself isn’t just about making sure you have an hour or two after work to lie on your couch and watch TV. Elliott quotes Charlotte Maxwell-Davies, the 2024 head of workplace mental health and training at Mental Health UK, as saying,
“Where you can, make your routine work for you.”
This means making your everyday tasks as enjoyable and productive as possible to make better use of your time. For example, if you make breakfast at home every morning, try playing a TV show you like in the background. Or, if you’d like to take up a new hobby like running, try running home from work one day (or even just partway) instead of taking the bus. Or while you’re waiting for dinner to finish cooking, try journaling about your day and all the things you’re looking forward to. Your routine shouldn’t just be a list of tasks that need to be done.
2. Enjoy your commute.
This advice builds off of Maxwell-Davies’s point mentioned above about making your routine work for you. If you have a commute, make sure you’re using that time as best you can. I commute for nearly three hours (in total) every day, and I try to use that time in a way that suits my needs. For example, if I’m feeling tired and low on energy, I listen to my favourite songs while I stare out of the bus window. Or if I know I still have to go home and answer some emails, I connect to the bus wifi and answer them on my laptop, so when I get home I have one less task to do. Alternatively, if there’s a new book you’ve been wanting to read, use your commute as a chance to get into it.
3. Cut out screen time.
This tip comes from LifeBonder. Scrolling on your phone may feel like the perfect way to distract yourself and let your mind go numb after a long day at work, but social media is often one of the biggest drainers of our energy and time. Too often I’ve sat down to go on my phone for a minute and then resurfaced an hour later to realize I’d done nothing productive or restful with my time. When you feel the need to scroll, put your phone back down and start something else instead. Maybe try a new creative hobby (we have plenty of inspiration on our LifeBonder blog!) or go for a walk. And if you really just feel the need to sit and stare, put on a movie you’ve been waiting to see.
4. Eat good food.
When you don’t often have time to cook for yourself, it’s easy to fall into a routine of eating the same meals over and over—especially breakfast. But forcing yourself to eat food you don’t really enjoy just because it’s easy makes life feel much more dull. Instead, try putting in that little extra effort to make meals you enjoy to improve your day-to-day life. While you’re making dinner, take a few extra minutes while the pasta is boiling to wash and cut some berries for your morning oatmeal. Or, while you’re at the grocery store, pick up a new flavour of tea you haven’t tried yet so you can bring it in a thermos to work (or, if your office has a kettle, make it at work!). Good food and new flavours can add a little bit of spice back into your daily routine.
5. Do things tired.
When I come home from work, I often feel exhausted, like there’s nothing I want more than to curl up in bed and take a nap. I suggest resisting that urge and going out to do something instead. It doesn’t have to be every day, but often when I have spontaneous plans after work to meet a friend for a drink or take a walk by the harbour, I stop thinking about how I have to get ready for work the next day, and I actually get to spend time enjoying my life and being a bit social.
Of course, having these tips to better enjoy time surrounding your full-time job is helpful, but I took my research a bit further. Most of all, I was curious about how we can prepare ourselves for full-time work—especially for students or anyone who has taken a long break from work.
Another article I found, from Integrative Psych, titled “Successfully Transitioning from College to a 9-5 Job,” provides strategies for young adults. One of the most important tips they share is…
1. Establish a daily routine.
If you know you’ll have to wake up at 7 am every day, you can start by going to bed a bit earlier and waking up a bit sooner than your usual 9 am. This will help your body adjust to different hours of operation and set you up for a successful routine. You can also try eating your meals at the same time every day and planning when you’ll exercise around your 9-to-5. Not only will you become comfortable with a new routine, but you’ll be able to determine when you’ll have time to spend on the things you love most.
2. Nurture your social life.
I heard this tip from a lot of my friends who already work full-time, and while it sounds pretty straightforward, it can be far more difficult than you realize. Even before you start working a full-time job, make sure you arrange plans with your friends and RSVP ‘yes’ to events—even when you’re not sure you’ll have the energy after your shift. Sometimes you only find the energy to be social when you already have plans made—or when you’re actually out being social—and afterwards, you’ll feel much more like yourself.
3. Be positive about your new routine.
This is another tip from Integrative Psych and probably the biggest takeaway from this post. They write that:
“Embrace a growth mindset and understand that adapting to the 9-5 lifestyle is a learning process.”
Remember that it takes time to adjust to a new routine, and just because something feels hard (or even impossible) at first, doesn’t mean you can’t learn to love it. Most things become easier over time. As my mom always says, the first two weeks of a new job are always the hardest. Once you get familiar with your new workplace and your new coworkers, you’ll start to feel like you belong.
To find inspiration for new hobbies or to find more time to enjoy your life, check out some of our previous posts below.
Sources
Elliott, Georgina. “The Dazed guide to staying sane at your first 9-5.” Dazed. 14 June, 2024. https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/62772/1/how-to-stay-sane-at-your-first-9-5-work-culture-capitalism-mental-health. Accessed 28 August 2026.
“Successfully Transitioning from College to a 9-5 Job | Strategies for Young Adults.” Integrative Psych. 7 August, 2025. https://www.integrative-psych.org/resources/successfully-transitioning-from-college-to-a-9-5-job-strategies-for-young-adults. Accessed 28 August 2026.
Featured photo credit to Andrew Neel.
Kelsey Gatis
Kelsey is a writer and aspiring journalist with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing. She is currently studying for her MA in English, with courses focusing on culture, society, and history.
