Identify your Time Spent

Best Practices for Resource & Tool Management

Following best practices to identify and manage your time is key to success. This article provides an overview of how an average adult spends time and strategies to improve time use.

Key Takeaways

Limited time is generally available for leisure, socializing, exercise, family, and self-development. These need to be prioritized and balanced.
Efficient organization and combining activities can help make the best use of time.

Figure 1 illustrates the estimated average distribution of time for adults. More than half of our time is spent on sleeping and daily chores, a bit over a quarter on work (including commuting), leaving only about 20% for other activities like leisure, exercise, family time, and self-development. Balancing activities within this remaining free time requires prioritization

This is even more difficult for those with caregiving responsibilities or disabilities that make daily chores more time-consuming.

To maximize well-being and life value, it is beneficial to organize efficiently and, where possible, combine activities. For instance, finding a job that offers social value or incorporating exercise into a fun activity can increase the value derived from each hour.

Details: Main Categories of Time Spent for an Adult

On average, adults’ weekly time distribution falls into the following categories:

1. Work and Commuting

Work: Around 35-50 hours per week (about 7-10 hours per weekday for full-time employees).
Commuting: Average of 4-6 hours per week (20-30 minutes per trip), but this can vary widely depending on location and work situation.

Tips for managing Work and Commuting time:

Seek for a job which helps you develop yourself, with people you connect well with.
Reduce commuting time by arranging remote or hybrid work, flexible hours.
Efficient Commuting by listening podcasts, audiobooks, learn language and skills, or simply reflect on valuable topics.

2. Sleep

Adults generally sleep 7 to 8 hours per night, totaling 49-56 hours per week.
Recommended Sleep: 7-9 hours per night.

3. Eating and Food Preparation

Meal Prep and Eating: Cooking, eating, and cleaning up take roughly 1-1.5 hours daily, totaling 7-10 hours weekly. This time can vary based on dietary restrictions, family size, and cooking habits.

4. Household Chores and Errands

Chores: Cleaning, laundry, and other tasks take about 1-2 hours per day, or 7-14 hours weekly.
Errands Grocery shopping and other errands average 1-2 hours per week.

On average, people spend about 40 minutes to 1 hour per grocery trip, with frequency and time varying based on shopping habits:

5. Personal Care

Dressing and Hygiene: Dressing and hygiene routines take around 30-60 minutes daily, adding up to 3.5-7 hours weekly.

Showering and bathing: Around 10-20 minutes daily.
Brushing teeth, face washing, and skincare: Roughly 5-10 minutes daily.
Dressing and undressing: About 5-15 minutes daily, though this varies by routine and formality of clothing.

6. Leisure, Exercise, and Recreation

Leisure Activities: Adults typically spend 3-4 hours daily on leisure activities like TV, hobbies, or socializing, totaling about 21-28 hours weekly.
Exercise: Around 30-60 minutes daily or 3.5-5 hours per week.

7. Childcare and Family Time (if applicable)

Parents generally spend 1-2 hours daily on childcare, totaling 7-14 hours per week.

8. Education and Learning (if applicable)

Adults involved in part-time education or self-study may spend 5-10 hours per week on learning activities.

Total Weekly Breakdown

Summing up, for a typical adult with a full-time job:

Work and commute: ~40-55 hours
Sleep: ~50 hours
Eating/food preparation: ~8-10 hours
Chores and errands: ~8-16 hours
Personal care: ~3-7 hours
Leisure and recreation: ~21-28 hours
Exercise: ~3-5 hours

This breakdown leaves around 10-20 flexible hours per week, which are often used for family activities, socializing, or additional leisure.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse