Do the most popular productivity trends on TikTok really work? A productivity expert tests them so you don’t have to

Every day, there seems to be a new productivity trend making waves on TikTok, and more people are turning to the app to find out how to be more productive. In fact, the hashtag #productivitytips alone has over 112 million views.

Gareth Hoyle, Director of the productivity and reporting tool Coveragely, examines the most popular productivity trends doing the rounds on TikTok and assesses how effective they really are.

The “5 to 9 before 9 to 5” trend

What’s the trend? - The #5to9 hashtag has racked up over 58 million views and involves waking up early (5 am) and dedicating the first four hours of the day to self-care and personal tasks before starting your work day. The viral trend sees users filming their post and pre-work routines to show how they can make the most of their time outside of their ‘nine to five’. It aims to showcase how people can get more done and improve their work-life balance by waking up earlier and spending time on themselves before work, so they have more time after work to be productive.

Does it work? - While some people argue that this trend could lead to burnout by promoting a toxic hustle culture and unrealistic expectations of productivity, I personally agree that it is unrealistic and promotes hyper-productivity. It creates pressure to conform and makes people feel lazy or unproductive, despite its intention to promote a healthy lifestyle. In reality, not every waking moment needs to be filled with activity. It's okay to rest before or after work if you need to, so you'll feel refreshed for the next workday.

Taskmasking

What’s the trend? - Fairly new but already gaining traction, ‘Taskmasking’ is another viral trend which sees employees pretending to be busy while doing the bare minimum. It’s essentially putting on a performance to appear busy in the workplace, when in reality, you’re trying to avoid adding more tasks to your workload. This new trend has become popular among Gen Z workers as a creative way to adapt to return-to-office mandates.

According to TikTok, some of the most common examples of taskmasking include typing loudly, walking quickly through the office, joining online meetings that don’t exist, acting frustrated, wearing headphones, pretending to use the phone for work purposes but calling a friend and carrying work or a laptop around as if you’re looking for a quiet space to work. In short, something that gives the illusion that you’re highly dedicated to your work.

Does it work? - Gen Z employees might appear lazy when they prioritise appearing busy over actual productivity, but this behaviour may indicate more serious workplace issues. Instead of laziness, it could be a coping mechanism for pressures to appear productive at all times, a lack of trust or engagement, being forced back to the office, uninteresting work, or excessive workloads that lead to stress and burnout. Further investigation into these underlying issues may be required.

Enhance productivity and engagement by shifting the focus from employee busyness and hours worked to establishing clear objectives and prioritising results. Cultivating a positive work environment through open communication further fosters a sense of productivity among employees.

Monk Mode

What’s the trend? - With over 25,000 videos, Monk mode is another trend going viral, which is inspired by the lifestyle of monks, where you disconnect from distractions and dedicate yourself to a single goal or task. This could help those who get distracted easily and want to boost productivity at work. Essentially, you have a period of intense focus and self-discipline to intentionally disconnect from things like social media, your phone and social interactions so you can get one specific task done during an extended period of time.

Does it work? - I do think this trend can help you get more done and improve your work habits, but remember it may not work the same for everyone and be aware of its limits. It’s important to balance your time carefully and take a proper break before and after you’ve completed the task to avoid burning out.

Prolonged periods of intense focus and self-imposed isolation could lead to a lack of work/life balance and stress. You could also end up being lonely if you practice this productivity tip too much. It’s also unrealistic as your work day might change frequently depending on what you do, and a rigid monk mode approach could make it difficult to adapt to unexpected situations or a change in priorities.

Eisenhower Matrix

What’s the trend? - The Eisenhower Matrix is another hashtag making the rounds and is a task prioritisation tool that divides your tasks into four based on urgency and importance. This can help with people who struggle when they have a big to-do list as it can help categorise tasks and allows you to focus on what’s really important.

Does it work? - This is one of my favourite trends as I do think it actually works. Especially when it comes to productivity and time management. Each of the four categories are:

• Urgent and important (do) - These tasks usually require your immediate attention and can be done straight away.
• Important but not urgent (schedule) - These tasks are vital but don’t have a pressing deadline so can be done at a different time.
• Urgent but not important (delegate) - These tasks, while urgent, may not actually be worthwhile completing so you could delegate these to somebody else if you have more pressing tasks to complete.
• Neither urgent nor important (eliminate) - These are time-wasters that aren’t necessary and can be removed from your to-do list or left until you’ve completed everything else.

By focusing on important tasks, it helps you feel more in control, helps you get more done and makes you feel less overwhelmed. It’s particularly useful if you regularly feel stressed and struggle to know where to start with your tasks. You’ll also be more efficient too as you can delegate more tasks to others and eliminate those that are wasting your time.

3-3-3 method

What’s the trend? - The 3-3-3 method is one of the better trends to come from TikTok, and it shows with over 20 million videos using the hashtag. The trend is a simple approach to time management that recognises the need for a more realistic and sustainable approach to work/life balance. This trend works to break your day up into three parts - three hours on the most important task with no distractions, then three secondary, but urgent, tasks and lastly, three maintenance tasks.

Does it work? - To make this work, plan out your day so you know what tasks you’ll be focusing on. Then block out the time needed to complete these tasks so you can limit distractions and actually complete them, and finally take plenty of breaks to avoid burning out. Especially between your blocks. It’ll make you much more productive in the long run.

Time blocking can mitigate the feeling of being overwhelmed by breaking down your to-do list into manageable portions. Dedicating focused time to your most important task minimises distractions, reduces multitasking, and leads to faster, higher-quality results. Additionally, scheduling specific time slots for smaller tasks prevents them from accumulating and causing unnecessary stress and anxiety.

The fact that it is realistic is another great aspect. It is both achievable and manageable for most people to dedicate three hours to an important task without losing focus. This approach strikes a good balance between focused, strategic work and the daily tasks that keep things running smoothly.

Five-second rule

What’s the trend? - The five-second rule can help you overcome procrastination and enhance your decision-making. It involves taking immediate action on any thought, task, or impulse within five seconds. This prevents your brain from overthinking, making you more likely to follow through and less likely to make excuses. To use the five-second rule, count down from five to one when you have an urge to do something or are given a task, and then immediately start taking action.

This method can potentially enhance your mental health and well-being by aiding in overcoming procrastination and minimising anxiety. By disrupting the hesitation that frequently hinders individuals from taking action, it can foster a more proactive mindset and decrease stress levels. Consistent application of this approach to accomplish small tasks that you might typically overthink can build confidence in your ability to manage challenges and attain your objectives, positively impacting your self-esteem. Moreover, it can facilitate the establishment of healthier routines when applied to activities such as making your bed, addressing your to-do list, or meditating.

Does it work? - While it can be effective for some, especially if you struggle to get through your to-do list most days, I don’t think it’s right for everyone. It’s not suitable for complex tasks or situations that require careful consideration, for example, as it could lead to rushed decisions and mistakes. So it’s worth taking this one with a pinch of salt.

Most of these productivity trends are harmless, and well worth doing if you need help making decisions, starting healthier routines and getting more done at work. However, it’s important to make sure you’re looking after yourself, taking proper breaks between work and busy days and resting when you need to. Instead of copying unsustainable routines just because somebody on TikTok told you to - just do what feels good and right for you at the time.