You've got half an hour until your next meeting, what do you do: make the most of the time by starting work towards a big project, or answer some emails and make a cup of tea?
Truth is, you're more likely to choose the latter — at least that's according to new research by Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business in the U.S.
Researchers found, in a series of eight tests, that time seems shorter to people when it comes immediately before a scheduled task or appointment. Therefore when we have a meeting booked in our diary, we're inclined to do less work and fill the time prior to the meeting with minor tasks, rather than knuckle down and complete something productive.
[READ MORE: 5 Ways To Shake Up Painfully Dull Meetings]
"We seem to take a mental tax out of our time right before an appointment," said Selin Malkoc, co-author of the study. "We figure something might come up, we might need some extra time, even when there's no need to do that. As a result, we do less with the available time."