London - You may want to read this a bit later on, after a nice cuppa or a snack, perhaps.
Average Britons spend more than three years of their lives putting off essential tasks.
In a survey of 1 000 men and women popular delaying tactics included having a cup of tea, having a smoke, pausing for a bite to eat and numerous bathroom visits.
Activities we are most keen to avoid until later are DIY and domestic chores such as laundry, ironing and cleaning, as well as dealing with bills and household admin.
Almost nine out of ten – 87 percent – said they regularly put off certain tasks until the last possible moment.
The study claims we procrastinate for an average of one hour and 17 minutes each day – or eight hours and 59 minutes every week.
That means we each spend more than 19 full days each year avoiding essential tasks, which over a lifetime stretches out to 1140 days.
A spokesman for ecigarettedirect.co.uk, which commissioned the research, said: “As a nation we British are world class at putting jobs off until the very last minute and it’s quite ingenious how we are able to come up with strategy after strategy to convince ourselves we are too busy.
“Respondents told us they scheduled a timetable of tea, cigarette and lunch breaks which often take priority over the job that needs to be completed.
“Then there were other non-essential tasks such as watering plants and sorting out the sock drawer which suddenly became urgent priorities ahead of the essential task they really should be concentrating on.”
He added: “Almost all of us are guilty of it and it seems that most of the time we know we are doing it.
“When the procrastination time is added up over a lifetime it really does seem we are wasting three years of our lives by effectively actively time wasting.
“We could all become much more productive, and enjoy more leisure time, simply by choosing not to procrastinate.
“So the next time you are planning to nip out for that smoking break or grab yet another cup of tea, ask yourself if you really need it.” - Daily Mail