Business / news
China’s Young Workers Fight ‘Office Aging’ With Wellness Hacks and ‘Gross’ Outfits
Young professionals in China are pushing back against the physical and mental toll of corporate life with unconventional wellness routines and deliberately sloppy workwear, saying their time at the company shouldn’t cost them their youth.
A trend known as the “gross office outfit” has taken off on Xiaohongshu, where young Chinese employees are trading polished work attire for unglamorous, ultra-comfortable loungewear. The logic circulating among users is that if a job drains your energy, it doesn’t deserve your fashion best, and the effort saved on grooming is better spent on mental preservation and post-work life.
These clothing choices are part of a broader set of tactics that some label “punk wellness” — a wave of quirky, pragmatic measures aimed at countering premature wrinkles, fatigue, and the physical toll of long office hours. Workers are also rethinking diet, skincare, and daily routines to reclaim their vitality, according to the discussions.
The movement reflects a micro-rebellion against an intense, high-pressure labor market. Rather than accepting the corporate grind as a drain on their bodies and minds, these young professionals are hacking their 9-to-5 schedules to carve out space for play and self-care.
Beyond the internet fad status, these everyday acts are redefining work-life boundaries. As one sentiment among participants puts it: their time might belong to the company, but their youth remains fiercely their own.