Weather 
If your to-do list feels so overwhelming that you fear you’ll never get anything done, you might want to hop on the latest life hack.
“Admin nights” are low-key hangouts that allow procrastinating friends to tackle their essential tasks together in the same room, rather than all alone.
Life admin refers to the small but important duties that tend to pile up over time, such as reading and replying to emails, making appointments, paying bills, getting your calendar set up, canceling subscriptions, putting together a budget, filing your taxes, or even something as simple as organizing the photos on your phone.
These tasks aren’t hard, but they can become easy to put off, and an admin night allows for a dedicated time and place to finally get them done. (Hopefully.)
There are no rules for what can and can’t be accomplished, but some people recommend against doing your actual job or talking on the phone.
One social media user shared that she hosted an admin night with her friends in December to tackle everything that they put off in 2025 — and finish them before the year officially ended.
“We’re all really excited because none of us want to do any of these tasks — they’re all for the most part really boring — but it’s exciting to come together and do it with your homegirls,” one person said, sharing that they had a collaborative playlist that they’ve all been adding music to and were bringing snacks for a “girl dinner.”
One social media user shared that he and his friend went to a bar that had Wi-Fi and power outlets to finish put-off projects — while taking advantage of the happy hour deals.
“When I tell you that admin night has actually changed my life,” Benjamin Chipman said in a video. “If you are trying to stay ahead of the curve and you are trying to do something beyond your actual work, you have to make the time for it.”
The idea at its core is to let boring and mundane tasks feel less boring by being surrounded by friends, snacks, drinks and so on.
It rebrands productivity as a social activity.
Plus, for people who may need a little motivation, time together can prove to be a huge benefit psychologically.
When it comes to forming habits, procrastinating and following through with tasks, a common challenge is simply getting started, licensed professional counselor Zvi Bellin, PhD told The Post.
“Beginning a task takes mental energy, but once someone starts, momentum builds, and it becomes easier to continue,” said Bellin, a professor of counseling psychology at National University in California.
Admin nights also come with built-in accountability. When you tell someone else you plan to do something, you’re more likely to actually accomplish it.
There’s a productivity strategy called body doubling — often used by those with ADHD and neurodivergent individuals — where simply being in the presence of other people can encourage focus, accountability and productivity, with the other person or people serving as an anchor.
“When people intentionally set aside time to work alongside others with the same purpose, it creates focus and follow-through,” Bellin explained.
“Community breeds persistence. Working alongside others helps people stay engaged and follow through, and being in a shared space also builds personal connection.”
During a time where people are actively looking for more connection — and particularly budget-friendly ways to socialize that don’t involve drinking and partying — the rise of admin nights isn’t so surprising.
Journalist Chris Colin shared in the Wall Street Journal that admin night “takes aim at the isolation fanned by our collective overwhelm,” arguing that people are drifting away from others due to screens alone, but rather because of “the endless micro-obligations that keep us tethered to them.”
Modern adulthood can feel like one is faced with a flood of aggravating tasks, and admin nights can make those isolating stressors feel less lonely and more fun.
Writing for Business Insider, Tess Martinelli admitted that the most surprising part of the get-together was the social connection and the opportunity to learn more about her friends.
“The administrative tasks themselves were boring, but the ideas surrounding those tasks sparked interesting conversations about bigger life ideas,” she wrote.
And there will likely be a wide skill set among the group, so it’s a perfect time to ask for help.
“I like the community sourcing of solutions,” said one person on Reddit, who offered the “nerdy” example that some people are good at dealing with insurance companies, others are good at getting refunds, and others have tricks for dealing with mortgage companies.
“In today’s more online and hybrid world, these gatherings create opportunities for cross-skilling sharing,” Bellin told The Post. “As jobs require people to be more adaptable, learning from others in informal ways helps expand skills and confidence.”
Businesses are even adapting to the growing trend, with one hotel in Boston offering communal tables or private rooms for guests to host admin nights.
The Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport is hosting admin nights at its restaurant, Kestra — even putting deadline-inspired cocktails on the menu, like the Inbox Zero Martini and Done & Dusted Old Fashioned.
“We saw an opportunity to translate [the trend] into an in-person experience that feels useful, welcoming, and grounded in hospitality,” Leon Bolivar, the hotel’s director of marketing, told The Post. “The trend reflects how people are balancing work, productivity and social time today.”
Bolivar explained that online trends are playing a bigger role in how people — especially young people — travel, which has led them to incorporate the cultural moments into their business.
