How much of your life do you spend eating? Grooming? Watching TV?
SHARE

Breathtaking moments might linger in your memory, But they’re not what make up a life. It’s the minutes spent cleaning the toilet and choosing a not-too-hard avocado that add up. We spend most of our time zoning out or fussing about the lines at the grocery store, then wonder where the day went. Here’s how you’re most likely spending your waking hours at different stages of your life—and where you can pause to savor them for the lifetime they really are.

time spent chart
Where does the time go? Sara Chodosh

Ages 15-19: 44 minutes spent grooming

Gotta look good for all those hot dates you’re going on.

Ages 25-34: 1 hour spent eating

Savor it all before your metabolism slows down.

Ages 35-44: 13 minutes and 48 seconds chauffering

Because the kids can’t drive themselves to the mall.

Ages 55-64: 3 hours and 13 minutes watching TV

Binge-watch all the shows you missed while raising kids.

Ages 75+: 23 minutes and 24 seconds gardening

Retirement finally lets you focus on the lawn and veggie plot.

This article was originally published in the September/October 2017 Mysteries of Time and Space issue of Popular Science.

Sara Chodosh
Sara Chodosh

Sara Chodosh was an editor at Popular Science for more than 5 years, where she worked her way up from editorial assistant to associate science editor. In that time she slowly took over running the Charted section of the now-defunct print magazine. Her love of graphics eventually led to her current job as a graphics editor at the New York Times. Contact the author here.