10 differences and similarities between American and British daily routines

Your mother was right — breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy breakfast has been proven to give you more energy, improve performance, and help with weight control.

According to Harry Balzar, a food industry analyst for market research firm NPD Group, around 80% of Americans eat breakfast before they leave work. In Britain, the figure is slightly higher at 83%.

In the US a study conducted by ABC News found the most popular breakfast cuisine is a bowl of cereal. Hot cereal like oatmeal came second, with bacon and eggs third.

In the UK, a consumer insight report found that a quick slice of toast is the number one option, followed by cereal, then eggs. And of course, it's usually always washed down with a cup of tea.

Even if you love your job, getting there can be a nightmare for many people.

A study by the University of the West of England found that long commutes can have an adverse effect on your wellbeing, reducing job and leisure time satisfaction, increasing strain, and worsening mental health.

Which must mean that American commuters, with an average commute time of 25.4 minutes, are slightly happier than British workers, who face a 29-minute commute each way.

Peak productivity, it seems, happens at the same time during your workday, no matter where you are in the world.

A two-year global study conducted by project management software company Redbooth found that productivity among office workers worldwide is at its highest point at 11 a.m., and plummets completely after 4 p.m.

John Trougakos, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto in Canada, says the reason we're most productive in the morning is down to circadian rhythms, or our internal body clock, which tells our bodies when to get up, eat, and sleep throughout 24-hour cycles.

According to Trougakos, about 75% of people tend to be most mentally alert between 9 a.m and 11 a.m.

And a survey that looked into the the habits of 2,000 UK workers seems to agree with Trougakos' research, showing Tuesday morning as the most productive time for Brits.

Perhaps it's no surprise that we get the least amount work done on a Friday, with Redbooth's survey showing a 20% drop in productivity across the globe.

Most people who work in an office will, at some point, have eaten their lunch while sitting at their desk.

The "sad desk lunch" is a common occurrence in pretty much every American workplace, where it's estimated that only one in five employees eat lunch away from their desk, in spite of research that suggests taking a midday break is beneficial for productivity and creativity.

Over in the UK workers are typically legally entitled to at least a 20-minute break away from their workstation, yet 54% of office workers admit to eating lunch in front of their computer.

A survey that looked into the most popular lunchtime food choices found that Brits regularly tuck into soup and sandwiches, while pizza is the common option in the US.

The average full-time employee in America puts in 8.15 hours a day, as reported in the 2016 American Time Use Survey data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The average hours of work for full-time employees in the UK is 7.42, according to a report by the UK Office for National Statistics, which looked at data from October to December 2017.

A survey from the temp agency Accountemps found nearly two thirds of workers and 57% of executives think productivity is boosted when coworkers are friends with each other.

While it may not be part of your job description to spend time with your colleagues outside of the office, after-work happy hours are a great way to socialize and build relationships — and it's something that 45% of UK workers do at least once a month.

Sharing a drink with your cubicle buddy isn't quite as popular in the US, with 21% of workers going for a drink with their colleagues.

Whether you love it or loathe it, there's no denying the health benefits of working out.

Leading an active lifestyle and exercising regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your health, and the US Center for Disease Control guidelines state that we should be aiming for 150 minutes of physical activity every week.

But fitting in regular sweat sessions seems to be tricky for us all, with just one in three Americans and 61% of Brits achieving the recommended amount of physical activity a week.

After a long day at the office, you've earned a bit of downtown to relax and unwind. In the UK, Brits manage to carve out an average of 5.49 hours a day to spend on leisure activities, including watching TV, socializing, sports and hobbies. Americans spend 5.13 hours per day on leisure.

Across the board, the most popular way to relax is by sitting down to enjoy some TV. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Americans spend 2.73 hours every day watching the TV, while the UK Office for National Statistics places the British average at 2.17 hours.

And what's the most popular show to watch? Game of Thrones was the biggest show of 2016, which is hardly surprising considering both British and American audiences regularly watch TV dramas over any other genre.

In the UK, documentaries and comedy shows are the second and third most popular genre to watch, while in the US comedy and reality shows are tied for second.

Time to do it all over again.

As reported by Sleep Cycle, the average American bedtime is 11:40 p.m. People stay awake slightly longer in Britain, finally climbing back into bed at 11:57 p.m.