Why Did We All Stop Going Out After Work? Here’s How To Make Weeknights Fun Again
Danielle Read
Contributor | Urban List
Since when did we forfeit every 5-9pm to the (necessary but rude) 9am-5pm? I’ll admit it. Somewhere along the way an after-hours catchup became out of the question. In its place? Dinner prep sagas, couch rotting with a new reality TV obsession and doom-scrolling until 10pm, then waking up bleary-eyed with nothing to show for it.
It was a tragic reckoning when I realised it had been weeks (months?) since midweek antics had visited my calendar.
If your post-5pm week night life has gone from sips and trivia, to yawning into a vortex of TikToks too, it’s time we reassess. Why? Because if not, the daily grind becomes our entire existence, punctuated only by fleeting weekends. Our conversations become ‘I saw this reel…’ and ‘ChatGPT told me…’ instead of moments that feel alive, and conversations that spill with beauty.
Apparently, life is for living. So perhaps it’s time we (slowly) become reacquainted with the extra sweetness that is a wine bar drop-in for a Pét Nat on a Tuesday night, or an after dark Pilates sweat sesh on a Thursday. But how?
Here’s the approach I’m trying on for size: experience, enhance, enrich. I’m no life coach. But it’s making my days feel nicer. And maybe it will make your days feel nicer too.
First up, experience.
Experience: Death To The Catch-Up Trap
When Tanya Hennessy articulated the ‘catch-up trap’, I realised I’d fallen into it too. ICYMI: the catch-up trap is where the only way you spend time with friends is recapping your life (it goes like this: ‘how’s work/the dog/the kids/your partner’ then ‘okay bye!’). AKA recounting, instead of actually sharing new experiences.
The swap? Less catch-up, more doing cool stuff together, with a side of life recap.
I reckon the secret to experiences that stick is to keep it casual. Something you can join once a week or once a month. No lock-in contract. Think: a $20 swing dance class in Mermaid Beach at 6.30pm on a Wednesday, a $15 glow in the dark clubercise class in Runaway Bay at 7pm on a Tuesday. Or join me at Hound & Stag Brewery’s free linedancing from 6.30pm. There’s something pretty cool about moving in sync on the d-floor with a bunch of other real life humans.
In the spirit of being a part of something bigger, when author Cassie McClure said, “everyone wants a village, but no one wants to be a villager,” it hit. Perhaps the 5-9pm isn’t all about pouring into ourselves–but into others.
Which brings me to point two; enhance.
Enhance: Add To Someone Else’s World
How can we add something to someone else’s world?
Think: doorstop delivery meals for friends made by yours truly just because. Or cheering on your brother at basketball practice because everyone loves a fan. How about buying a ticket to your colleague’s stand-up comedy show (perhaps they secretly feature on HOTA’s brimming comedy calendar).
Sure, you could wait until your paths cross again, exclaim ‘we must do this more often!’ Or–hear me out–you could insert yourself into the lives of people who matter to you. I’m embarrassed to admit the lightbulb that pinged in my brain when I realised sending through a list of dates for the next 3 months wasn’t the only way to actually see someone. Finally, there’s enrich.
Enrich: A Healthy Dose Of Mid-Week Culture
A way to hype up your heart and re-sparkle your mind before the weekend hits. A quick glance at Mo’s Desert Clubhouse’s event lineup or Miami Marketta’s ever-growing event list gives you a pretty good picture of the quality events happening week-long.
Then there’s HOTA’s continually refreshed showcase of performances, workshops and even foodie affairs. All happening midweek. Or what about the world of book clubs (this one catches up in Robina at 6.30pm once a month), a run club (Gold Coast Run Co. kick off after dark every Tuesday in Burleigh), or volunteering at a local organisation. Options? Yeah, you’ve got ‘em.
The reality is this: to dive into a 5-9 antic will require sacrifice. RIP nighttime routine, catching up on your shows, an early night to bed (I could go on). Yes, you might slide your key in the front door after 9, and slink into bed at 10.
Will you be tired the next day? Probably.
Will you have done a lot of living? Absolutely.