Is the Singaporean lifestyle just work, eat, sleep, repeat? Netizens share their thoughts

SINGAPORE: Routines are part of life; however, they can be dreadful if one does not see the purpose of what they are doing, and if they are stuck doing the same things over and over again.

In this sense, a netizen on Reddit voiced his/her observation that living in Singapore just revolves around doing three things—working, eating, and sleeping. In the post, the netizen admitted: “Recently realised how fast the weeks are passing. Monday comes, suddenly Friday, then the weekend is gone and back to work again.” 

With this, he/she curiously asked if adult life in Singapore has been truly like this and also sought answers as to how people actually enjoy their time outside of their workplaces. 

One commenter admitted that Singaporeans have no other identity than their work and explained that in other countries, people describe themselves based on their hobbies. However, in Singapore, people immediately relate themselves to their work because it is a huge part of their lives. 

Another netizen claimed that this is the reason why people need to have a 4-day work week to feel rested and show up for themselves and others in a healthy state. 

“Life has gotten dull and monotonous. Even if you want to do something outside of work, there is time, energy, and money to factor in,” one more netizen remarked. 

For some, they do their best to do the things that excite them, such as reading books, doing passion projects, and catching up on TV shows even if it is just for a short period of time. 

“I don’t think you need a reason to live. Just think of something you really enjoyed as a kid or teenager. Now that you have an income, revisit things that made you happy when you were younger. Sure you can find something that doesn’t require a ton of money,” a comment declared. 

“There is no blessing in time here. If you travelled to some other countries you would know an abundant amount of time exist unlike Singapore,” a comment concluded. 

At the end of the day, many people feel stuck in a loop where work takes over everything. It is truly challenging to get through each day, but simple steps can lead to change. Maybe it’s time to find small ways to bring back joy in everyday life, or just make space for rest to pause and have time for oneself.