Okay so here’s what actually happened with my 5-4 vs 5-11 thing. Wanted to see if squeezing more work into fewer days was worth it, you know? Like, doing the same work in four days instead of five. Got curious.
Starting Point Was Messy
First off, my regular week? Kinda all over the place. Work stuff kept bleeding into evenings, weekends felt like just a pause button. Needed a reset. Saw some folks online talking about “compressed schedules,” specifically the 5-4/9 (work four 9-hour days, get one full day off) and 5-11/9 (work five shorter days, usually 9-hour-ish but including a shorter Friday). Sounded cool, but I’m like, does it work in the real world for me? Gotta test it live.
Jumped Into the 5-4 Experiment
Alright, week one was the 5-4 schedule. That meant:
- Monday through Thursday: Grind time. Pushed myself to start earlier, block out serious focus chunks, and accept no interruptions if possible. Emails piled up until lunch. Skipped that usual chit-chat coffee break.
- Friday: The prize! Golden, glorious, uninterrupted Friday off. Honestly? The whole week, knowing Friday was mine, felt different. Like a little reward waiting. Used Friday for chores mostly, felt super productive just knocking stuff out without work looming.
- The Trade-off: Man, those four work days were long. By Thursday afternoon, my brain felt kinda mushy. Needed decent sleep, or I’d crash hard. Had to be strict about logging off right at the 9-hour mark.
Switched Gears to the 5-11 Setup
Week two, flipped it. The standard 5-day week with shorter Fridays:
- Monday through Thursday: Normal rhythm. Aimed for solid 9-hour days again. Felt easier because I knew the end wasn’t that far off.
- Friday: Short day! Usually wrapped up by 3 or 4 PM. Left the big stuff for earlier in the week. Fridays became quick wrap-ups and planning for the next week.
- The Feel: Less pressure Monday-Thursday compared to the 5-4 push. Knowing Friday was light made the whole week feel less intense. That early Friday finish felt like a little mini-weekend head start. Good for errands or starting weekend relaxation early.
Comparing the Apples and Oranges
So, after living both for a week each, here’s the takeaway:
- Total Time Worked: Honestly? Pretty similar. Did the math. 5-4 clocked around 36 hours. 5-11 hit about 37. Near enough to call it a wash.
- Energy Levels: 5-4 drained me more during the core days. Like running a sprint. Needed better recovery. 5-11 was more like a steady jog – tiring, sure, but a more even burn.
- The “Off” Feeling: This was big. That full Friday off with 5-4? Awesome. Felt like a proper mini-vacation every week. The early finish on 5-11 Friday? Nice, really nice… but still didn’t have the same “work is completely over” freedom.
- Focus vs Flexibility: 5-4 forced crazy deep focus Mon-Thu. Good for heads-down projects. 5-11 was way easier for ad-hoc meetings or unexpected stuff popping up because the days weren’t maxed out. Less panic.
What’s Actually Sticking?
Okay, final thoughts right now? Gotta be real.
- The full-day recharge from the 5-4 Friday is tempting. Really tempting. That mental break is huge.
- But the slog of those four long days is also real. It takes discipline I don’t always have, especially if stuff gets chaotic.
- The 5-11 feels safer, smoother. Less likely to burnout during the week. That early Friday finish is a sweet little perk.
So honestly? Leaning towards the 5-11. Yeah, the full day off was amazing, but those long days felt unsustainable week after week for me right now. The 5-11 just fits better with the usual messiness of life. Might circle back to 5-4 when I need a major focus push on a project. But for now, the hybrid rhythm of 5-11 just clicks better with my energy. Experiment was worth it though! Really shows you gotta try stuff yourself.