Does anyone else prefer not to talk to anyone else on lunch breaks?

[goaskmum]

I am quite an introverted person but I do enjoy people’s company when I’m ready for it.

At work, I do hate sitting down to have my lunch and feeling like I have to talk to the other people there, i just want to sit down and eat my food in peace and have two minutes to myself!

Am I just rude or is there anyone else like this?

I HATE people talking to me on my lunch break. I will happily chat with everyone and anyone for the other 7 1/2 hours of my shift but those 30 minutes are for me and I really hate people talking with their mouth full. I put headphones in, most of the time I'll listen or watch something but not always.

Yes, i see my break as a break from work. I don't want to chat with work people, i prefer to go on a long walk by myself and not think about work for an hour.

Yeo. I spend my whole day talking and I just want to eat and be silent on my 30 min lunch!

I usually leave the office at lunchtime. I need a break to clear my head and if I stay in I'm constantly interrupted.

My colleagues and I all try to get together in the staff canteen on our lunch breaks as we don't get to have proper conversations with each other when we are working.

But there's some other people who sit and read, one lady actually has a half an hour power nap with her headphones in. Some spend their whole lunch in the car, and some go home if they're near enough.

I spend a lot of my days in meetings and my non work time with primary age kids who chatter non stop. I need a quiet lunch break to recharge so often go for a walk, eat at my desk etc. My team are lovely so it's nothing to do with them, I am just an introvert and need to recharge. Since being strict on quiet lunch my productivity is up.

I do go for special occasions though.

Now i think about it I've always sought solitude at lunchtime in all the many varied jobs i've had.

All 3 of my older DDs (20 somethings) seem to do the same. All very different jobs - but they all do it too. One goes upstairs to a quiet room, and the other 2 leave their respective work buildings and sit in their cars.

It's just a nice chance to switch off and recharge your mental batteries before going back into battle isn't it?

I've just sat down for my lunch and two colleagues got up to leave, one of them said no offence to me. Absolutely none taken, I seek out solitude and silence at lunch time spend enough of the day having to talk to people!

This is very timely. There is nowhere on our huge site where you can go to be quiet. I've left the office because there are 4 people near me who have been talking constantly all morning, but my peace has just been interrupted as usual by 2 men coming to sit near me for a chat.