Are you busy doing nothing three hours a day?

But that could be because most adults waste up to three hours a day 'faffing around', according to a study.

The biggest time-wasting activities were waiting for partners, children or colleagues, queuing, being stuck in traffic, gossiping, shopping for nonessentials and being kept on hold while on the phone.

Watching the time slip away - research suggests we spend three hours a day doing nothing

Four out of five of the 1,600 adults questioned admitted wasting time, with just under half estimating the amount as two to three hours a day.

One in three of those surveyed was 'annoyed' at the number of hours whittled away and wanted to make better use of their days.

Chris Banks, chairman of the Learning and Skills Council, which carried out the study, said: 'It's clear that people waste a lot of time but it's also clear that people are willing to make better use of their time.

If we all spent two-and-a-half hours a day learning something new, we'd all benefit hugely.'

Author and time management guru Mark Forster said managing time had become a vital skill.

He said: 'We live in a busy world. Of course, we've all said "I just don't have time" but this research shows we can all make the time if we manage ourselves more efficiently.'