Meet the unstoppable multitasking worker: that modern Brit who fires off emails from the loo, dials into meetings during a dog walk, and tackles the weekly grocery shop from the treadmill. If this hectic lifestyle rings a bell, you’re not alone.
According to a new nationwide survey by EV charging specialists, Roam, Britons are becoming experts at finding ingenious ways to cram more into their day.
From the 36% still plugging away on their phones while trying to watch TV in the evening, to the quarter who admit to handling work emails on the loo, modern life seems to be all about saving precious minutes wherever possible.
| Rank | Behavior | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Working / sending emails while watching TV | 36% |
| 2 | Working / sending emails on the loo | 25% |
| 3 | Ironing while listening to a podcast or audiobook | 22% |
| 4 | Brushing teeth in the shower | 20% |
| 5 | Shopping while charging your EV car | 20% |
| 6 | Cooking while helping the kids with their housework | 19% |
| 7 | Online shopping while in a work meeting | 13% |
| 8 | Ordering a take-away while on a work call | 11% |
| 9 | Internet dating while doing the weekly shop | 10% |
| 10 | Doing a work teams meeting while looking after your kids | 9% |
| 11 | Working / sending emails on the treadmill | 7% |
| 12 | Dialling into a work meeting on the dog walk | 7% |
| 13 | Cleaning while talking to your boss on the phone | 6% |
| 14 | Working on your phone, while charging your electric vehicle | 6% |
| 15 | Doing the weekly shop at the gym | 5% |
Some of these multi-tasking feats are jaw-dropping. One in twenty people (6%) have no qualms about calling their boss while vacuuming, while a fifth (20%) manage to do their weekly shop while their EV charges up.
And if that doesn’t impress you, 10% are busy swiping through internet dating profiles as they wander supermarket aisles, and 7% are tapping out emails while pounding the treadmill.
It’s no wonder half (51%) of respondents reckon multi-tasking is a survival skill in today’s world—42% go further, insisting it’s downright impossible to get everything done without doubling up on tasks.
Unsurprisingly, 79% describe their life as a never-ending to-do list, from the moment they wake up to lights out at bedtime.
Indeed, the average Brit now juggles 12 tasks a day until around 8pm, leaving 57% feeling utterly overwhelmed.
Even relaxing looks like it’s on the endangered list: some (9%) end up dialling into a team meeting while entertaining the kids, and 13% have dived into a full weekly shop during a face-to-face business catch-up.
Though a third (30%) believe they’ve mastered the art of multi-tasking, it can come at a price—85% admit that juggling too many things at once has led to slip-ups.
A spokesperson for Roam, which commissioned the study, says it reflects how jam-packed our routines have become: “Our lives are busier than ever, so it’s understandable that many of us want quick and convenient ways to get everything done—including charging our cars.
The freedom to go shopping or hit the gym while powering up your EV is a real game-changer for time-poor Brits.”
And what about that old debate over who’s better at spinning plates—men or women? The nation’s still split: 51% believe women have the edge, while 49% remain unconvinced.
Either way, whether you’re a proud multitasking worker or just trying to keep your head above water, it’s clear that juggling, merging, and overlapping our daily tasks has become the new normal.