prostooleh - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Do you remember your first 9 to 5 job?
It’s kind of wild, but it’s how life works in the world, especially in America. You graduate from school, get a job, and work it for 40 hours a week, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, five days a week.
Many people try to warn you while you’re still young how hard having a full-time job is in adulthood, but honestly, nothing can really prepare you for its challenges until you’re living it.
One TikTok user recently went viral after posting an emotional video describing her challenges after taking a 9 to 5 job she has to commute to every day.
Brielle Asero (@brielleybelly123) went viral on TikTok a week ago after posting a video about her 9 to 5. Her teary video, which she did not expect to become so talked about, breaks down the reality of working full-time for a living and the sacrifices one has to make while seeking advice from anyone with more experience.
Brielle is a college graduate of the class of 2023 and got a job in marketing after job hunting for months. She now has to commute from New Jersey to New York City for a 9 to 5 job, something many New Jersey residents are very familiar with.
Because of the commute, Brielle explains in her video that she often has to leave home by 7:30 am and doesn’t get home until after 6:00 pm. By then, she has no energy to do anything she’s passionate about.
“I don’t have time to do anything,” says Brielle.
“I want to shower, eat my dinner, and go to sleep. I don’t have time or energy to cook my dinner, either. I don’t have energy to work out, like, that’s out the window. I’m so upset, oh, my god. [It has] nothing to do with my job at all, but just, like, the 9 to 5 schedule in general is crazy.”
prostooleh – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Brielle acknowledges in her video that things could be worse, as she could have to work longer hours at a more extensive job, but she had no idea that she would feel so drained and exhausted at the end of what is considered a ‘typical’ work day.
She also became stressed out about her social life, as on the weekdays, she feels she has no time or energy to see friends or go on dates.
“I’m scared of not having time to live,” writes Brielle in her caption.
Many people can relate to the fear of losing all the fun in your life after beginning to work full time as an adult, and many of them showed Brielle support and related to her struggles in the comments.
“I had a crisis when I got my first 9-5 job,” commented one TikTok user.
“Literally, I couldn’t believe this was life.”
“The 40-hour work week is beyond outdated, and your feelings are totally valid,” commented another user.
While it’s tough, many of Brielle’s viewers suggested pushing through the exhaustion and finding just a bit of time each day to do something fun or social.
Realizing that childhood is over and it’s time to get to work and build your own life can be terrifying.
