What the 'sidequest' trend can teach us about work-life balance
One of my favorite social media trends in my algorithm lately has been the ‘side quest’ trend. The term originated from role-playing games like The Legend of Zelda and describes optional, non-essential missions that the player can undertake. On TikTok and Instagram, it has evolved into a popular trend to describe infusing your regular schedule with activities or little adventures that spark joy and fun, bringing a sense of novelty to schedules and routines that can often feel mundane.
The essential thing about a side quest is that you are doing it because it's non-essential, not productive, and just for the joy or fun of it. It could be something as small as taking a different route home from work or the grocery store. Or if you take public transportation, it could look like getting off the bus or train on an earlier stop than normal. Or signing up for a free workout class at your local library or recreation center. But the purpose is to do something unexpected and simply for the joy of it. So not trying to master a new skill or be proficient.
Start small. You could try a new coffee shop on the weekend. Or pick a new recipe to make for dinner one night. Take your lunch break outside. Go read at the park. Try a new walking trail. Go to a movie without researching it or looking at reviews beforehand. Listen to music or a playlist outside your normal genre. Maybe pick one day a week to go on a side quest. You could volunteer at your local food bank or animal shelter. Thrift something for your home. Then you can work your way up to something bigger. Ask a friend to do an activity with you that you haven’t done since childhood, like roller skating, rock climbing, or horseback riding.
What side quests can teach us about work-life balance is that we shouldn’t schedule and over-optimize every moment and minute of our lives. Not every hour should be accounted for. Not every activity has to be productive or lead to an ‘outcome’. It’s important to leave room for joy and trying new things and being a beginner. Science has even shown that novelty or novel experiences can have health benefits.
According to Psychology Today, our brain releases dopamine, the feel-good chemical associated with pleasure and motivation, when we encounter something new. Novel experiences can even change how we experience time. Steve Taylor Ph.D., shared with Physcology Today, “There is a strong link between time perception and information processing. The more information our minds process, the slower time seems to pass.” So when we are in familiar environments, with the same people doing regular activities, time tends to move quickly. Versus when we are processing information from something that engages our attention in a different way, like watching a new film, going to a lecture, etc. Introducing newness into our lives can help us resist the process of time speeding up, Dr. Taylor stated. So learning new hobbies, going to new places, and meeting new people. Experiencing time more slowly is just one more reason to try the side quest trend.
At its core, the trend is a reminder that balance isn’t always something to be found in better time management. It is how we choose to experience our time. In a culture that has taught us to equate productivity with self worth, going on side quests can help gently push back, encouraging us to prioritize curiosity, joy, and presence over constant productivity.
Written by Hannah Lacy
Bio: Hannah Lacy is a digital content strategist with over seven years of experience in marketing and social media, and more than a decade of experience as a freelance writer contributing to various publications. A working mother of two school-aged children, she writes at the intersection of ambition and parenthood, with a passion for storytelling, advocating for working moms, and partnering with mission-driven brands and organisations.
Connect with her on LinkedIn or at hannahlacymedia@gmail.com.
