2014-01-23
According to American time use survey from 2012, the average American between ages 25 and 54, who is employed and has children, spends 8.8 hours on working and related activities, 7.7 hours for sleeping, 1.1 hours for eating and drinking, 1 hour for household activities, 1.2 hours for caring for others, 2.6 hours for leisure activities and sports and 1.6 hours on something else.

Now, that might sound like the life of a normal person, but I'll be honest, this seems quite weird and boring for me. Then again, even though age-wise I do fit in the category, but I have no children and I'm self-employed. And if I had to think how I spent my last 24 hours, or let's say, yesterday, then the numbers would be a lot different. Something like ... 5 hours for working, 4 hours drinking, 2 hours eating and cooking, 4 hours watching some crap from my computer, 6 hours sleeping and ... well, 3 hours for...I don't know, chilling. Oh right, actually I'm not an American either. Just for the sake of the argument.

But even that is boring. According to an article published by the Independent back in 2005, here's what we actually do, or an average person does. Based on scientific studies, of course.


  • Laughing - 6min
  • Being "on hold" - 5min
  • Culture - 7min
  • Reading novels - 7min
  • Child Care - 17min
  • Social life and resting - 1 hour, 16min
  • Shopping - 1 hour, 6min
  • Complaining - 8min
  • Housework - 2 hours, 38 min
  • Thinking about sex - 20 seconds
  • Making love - 2 minutes, 42 seconds
  • Making tea - 6 minutes
  • Sleeping - 7 hours, 24 minutes
  • Surfing the internet - 22 minutes, 30 seconds
  • Dealing with spam mail - 13.3 seconds
  • Office politics - 64 minutes
  • Lunch break - 27 minutes
  • Eating and drinking - 84 minutes
  • Breakfast - 21 minutes
  • Personal grooming - 47 minutes
  • Spending time with partner - 2 hours, 30 minutes
  • Sitting on a sofa- 3 hours, 42 minutes
  • Sports - 12 minutes
  • Watching TV - 3 hours, 48 minutes
  • Hunting for lost things - 31 minutes
  • Reading surveys - 37 minutes


Obviously, it's all based on science, care to disagree?