Commuting, Candy Crush, and cleaning - now alongside PPI phone calls and automated telephone systems on the list of life’s biggest time wasters, a new survey has shown. Researchers identified a top 50 list of time wasters, ranging from situations people cannot control like traffic jams to self-inflicted ‘time wasting’ activities, like catching up on the latest celebrity gossip.
Roadworks, queues and automated telephone systems scored highly as frustration factors, while many wish they spent less time sat in front of soap operas, and hooked up to social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
The average Brit calculates one hour and 40 minutes of their precious time is wasted every day- and wishes they could spend their time more productively, by helping others, or getting their own lives more organised.
That’s the equivalent of almost 12 hours a week. Time that could be spent reading a good book, volunteering, or pursuing an interest.
Engage Mutual carried out the study of 2,000 adults in conjunction with the launch of the Engage Foundation, which is setting aside at least £1 million in funding to help its customers both on a personal basis, and within their local communities. An Engage spokesman said:
"We all lead very busy lives but it’s amazing just how much time life’s distractions can take up.
"Some time wasters, like waiting in traffic and commuting are unavoidable, but, others like watching soaps and playing Candy Crush we choose to do.
"What’s apparent is that many people want to make better use of their time. Understanding where and how we might be wasting this scarce resource, is an important first step."
The study shows transport causes no end of frustration for people who would like to make better use of their time – with road works, de-icing the car, train timetables and delayed public transport services all making the list.
Waiting is a major bugbear for busy Brits, who hate queuing in supermarkets, waiting for nails to dry, downloading YouTube videos, and hanging around while the kettle boils or the washing machine finishes its load.
The telephone causes no end of misery, as automated telephone systems, PPI calls and waiting for someone to call back all feature highly in the top 50.
Essential household chores are seen as another source of frustration for many – who find dusting pointless and cleaning the windows in the winter futile.
Self-service checkouts at the supermarket, Come Dine with Me repeats and surfing between television channels are all considered regular time-wasters.
But the study also explores what people would do if they did have more time on their hands.
A quarter would like to improve their home, while a fifth of health-conscious Brits would like to do more exercise.
Pursuing hobbies and interests and getting jobs done around the house would also be priorities for those blessed with a little more time. While others would like to spend more time with loved ones and visit friends they rarely see.
Indeed 44% of those polled admitted they would like to be in a position where they could help out more in the local community or with their elderly neighbors.
The Engage Foundation spokesman continues:
"It’s great to see that given a little more time many people would like to help out in the local community or see elderly relatives a little more.
"Those who do have the time to volunteer in their community report a greater sense of wellbeing as well as having the opportunity to learn new skills, socialise, and give something back."
Are you as cool as a cucumber or do you have zero tolerance when it comes to life’s unwanted timewasters? You can find out by taking Engage's tolerance test.
TOP 50 TIME WASTERS
1. PPI phone calls
2. Automated telephone systems
3. Worrying about what might happen
4. Waiting in a supermarket queue
5. Unnecessary packaging
6. Traffic jams
7. Queuing
8. Roadworks
9. Waiting for someone to call back
10. Self-service checkouts where you always end up needing assistance
11. TV adverts
12. Waiting for pages to load on the computer
13. Candy Crush
14. Facebook
15. People that won’t listen to you
16. When you’ve got loads of emails to open even when they don’t apply to you
17. Dusting when the dust settles straight away
18. Cleaning
19. Advertisements before the movie starts in the cinema
20. Untangling earphone cable when they only get tangled up again
21. Cleaning the house windows in winter
22. Commuting
23. Taking the wrong turn on a motorway
24. Surfing between television channels
25. Putting away supermarket shopping
26. Twitter
27. Food that looks really nice on the packet and when you taste you want to throw it away
28. EastEnders
29. Waiting for delayed trains
30. Watching Come Dine With Me repeats
31. People who give directions but have no idea where they are going
32. Soap operas
33. Tidying
34. Clearing up mess after spilling stuff
35. Waiting for the washing machine cycle to finished
36. Waiting for the kettle / pan of water to boil
37. Match of the Day
38. Caffeine free tea and coffee
39. Booking an appointment at the Doctor’s over the phone
40. Long term gym contracts
41. Waiting for YouTube videos to download / stream
42. Pizzas with that massively thick crust which makes you so full you don’t have room for the actual pizza
43. Waiting to fill up your petrol tank
44. Having to take stuff back to the shop because it didn’t fit
45. Train timetables
46. Waiting for nails to dry
47. Cooking a big meal but nobody is hungry
48. Waiting for the bath to run
49. De-icing the car
50. Trying over and over to book tickets for a gig online
