You have more time than you think. Here are 5 science-backed ways to find it
Many Americans feel overwhelmed by their busy schedules, but this perception may not reflect reality. Time management expert Laura Vanderkam argues that people often have more free time than they realize. By tracking their time and reassessing their priorities, individuals can find ways to better utilize their hours.
- ▪Americans work fewer hours now than in the past, averaging about 1,750 hours annually.
- ▪Despite busy schedules, people spend over two and a half hours a day watching TV.
- ▪Tracking time can reveal that individuals often have more discretionary time than they believe.
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Future PerfectYou have more time than you think. Here are 5 science-backed ways to find itThere are 8,760 hours in a year. You can spend them better. by Bryan WalshMay 18, 2026, 10:30 AM UTCShareGiftWong Yu Liang/Getty ImagesBryan Walsh is a senior editorial director at Vox overseeing the climate teams and the Unexplainable and The Gray Area podcasts. He is also the editor of Vox’s Future Perfect section and writes the Good News newsletter. He worked at Time magazine for 15 years as a foreign correspondent in Asia, a climate writer, and an international editor, and he wrote a book on existential risk.If there’s one thing Americans can agree on — beyond the fact we hate data centers and love Dolly Parton — it’s that we’re busier than ever, and it’s all too much.
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