To eat apples and crisps at work?

[Justchillalready]

Not at the same time, of course! (Now I'm wondering what that might taste like!)

I sit in an open plan office. One of my colleagues has misophonia, so really hates the sound of chewing/crunching. I realise this is not something she can control and is not just her being ridiculous. We've worked together for about 4 years and for 4 years I've tried to eat crunchy/noisy food as quietly and discreetly as possible.

If someone else in the office eats said noisy food, she emails/texts me complaining how much it's irritating her. Very funny initially...

Thing is... I'm getting a little bored of it and to be honest, sucking crisps to reduce the crunch just isn't quite the same as actually, well..... eating them.

While I'm certainly not saying I'm going all out and having a packet of crisps every day, crunching away without thought to anyone else, on the odd occassion that I do fancy a pack of crisps or an apple, I just don't really fancy having to eat by stealth anymore.

AIBU to occasionally simply enjoy the food in all it's crunchy glory?

Sorry Op, hijacked to talk about me, me, me there!

I think you need to tell your colleague to stop emailing you with the moaning, she needs to tackle it with the people concerned and perhaps you can find a compromise - like a 5 min warning of eating something that might trigger her, maybe she could pop away or put on some headphones to make a call or listen to something that drowns it out if that’s possible.

Why do people think it's grim to eat at your desk? My job is so full on I rarely get chance for even a twenty minute break, this time is made up when I'm not deployed so it's not a pay issue. An apple or sandwich is fine, kebab, probably not. I can easily read a case on my screen while I eat. I also mostly work from other people's places of work when I'm deployed, some of which don't have break spaces, and I have to bear in mind the impact it has for the day to day staff having me and my colleagues in their relaxation space if they do. If she has a diagnosis it is for her to speak to management so adjustments can be made

GreatWesternValkyrie - the smell of oranges being peeled would bring on a crashing migraine for my mother.

Eating anything at your desk is really not a great idea and surely most reasonable sized companies have a kitchen/lounge area for this? My DH says the IT guys at his company are disgusted at how filthy some keyboards/laptops are, mostly with food crap and grease, and wear gloves to deal with them!

"Oh my god just eat your company!"

I doubt she's that hungry!.

In all seriousness though, just eat your crisps. Sitting there sucking on a bag of crisps is beyond ridiculous.

Listening to people eating apples (evil noisy fruit) and crisps (especially kettle crisps) gives me the most almighty rage. But that’s my issue and the world will always be full of apple munchers. So I just pop my headphones on and zone it out.

I have a colleague who eats apples and popcorn very loudly at their desk most days. It's one of those sounds, once you notice it you notice for ever and it quickly gets more and more irritating and rage inducing. Doesn't help that I have tinnitus constantly as well.

I put earphones in/music on whenever she starts or I just cant work while she is eating. 100% my problem to deal with.

I didn't realise that not liking (especially eating) noises had a name until I saw it on the BBC website yesterday. Surely there must be millions of us?

As far as I understand (from googling when dh had some sound sensitivity issues requiring medication) misophonia isnt just not liking sounds, I dont like my colleague eating beside me, it distracts me, irritates me and I cant concentrate or focus enough to work, I sit and curse her under my breathe and wish she'd bloody hurry up and finish. I dont have misophonia. Misophonia is when certain sound trigger extreme reactions primarily panic and fear but also extreme anger, heart racing etc. Getting really really irritated or pissed off isnt misophonia, its perhaps another sound sensitivity or like me (and probably OPs colleague) just being easily irritated!!!

I used to have a sniffer! Every 15 seconds or so and it was infuriating, but sometimes I could block it out. I have moved slightly away from the sniffer now and the peace is blissful!! Funnily enough, the sniffer hates noise of any kind and is very quick to moan at others for chit chat etc

OP didn't say anything to suggest she works at a reasonable sized company...

There's a difference between having no option other than eating at your desk and choosing foods/snacks that are inconsiderate to your colleagues.

One of these might help with the apple crunching, it would reduce the noise a bit without removing the enjoyment too much. However the only way to reduce the sound of crisps would be to crush them into tiny bits.

www.lakeland.co.uk/14411/OXO-Good-Grips-Apple-Divider?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr5yRys_l3gIVEJSyCh3jHwseEAQYAyABEgKApfD_BwE&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!105381276509!!!g!42886712544!&ef_id=W-VhuwAAAHdioNI4:20181121134635:s

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38842561

I have this and it really is hard to live with.

One colleague I had used to start on one of those big bags of crisps and I was ready to kill her by the end. Munch munch fucking munch.

Greatwesternvalkyrie.
Do you think you were beaten to death with an orange in a past life?

Offices where you are banned from eating at your desk? Where is this utopia?? Everyone eats at their desk in mine

We were stupid to reply, this was clearly a Daily Mail follow up article to the BBC report.

This is what noise cancelling headphones are for.

OP didn't say anything to suggest she works at a reasonable sized company...

The OP has given very little info!

I work for a local authority, but the way our premises are designed, there is no break room. I could use the break room in another premises but the walk there and back, singing in and out, getting the pass to get through security and then getting up to the break room (which then may or may not have enough seats free) would take up most of my lunch!

Eating anything at your desk is really not a great idea and surely most reasonable sized companies have a kitchen/lounge area for this?

And surely you realise that even many reasonably sized companies have done away with such side benefits in the interest of cost saving. A lot of places, you don't even have your own desk, you hot desk, much less have a kitchen to eat in.

The colleague is the one with the issue, she can get noise-cancelling headphones.

I hate the sound of people eating, if they have their mouth open. I think you should go self employed if you can’t cope with mouth closed eating! ( and if you are an open mouthed eater!)

Thanks all for your replies – looks like I’m off to the manky old lunch room, while my employer frowns disapprovingly.

Either that, or I’ll wrap a scarf round and round my head while I enjoy a crisp sandwich. (Carb-Heaven!) @Threewheeler!

That BBC article posted above describes my experience of misophonia perfectly. Whistling, whispering, pens clicking, people sniffing, change jangling in a pocket, people eating loudly... all of these things make me feel irrational rage, disgust and I get tearful if it goes on for more than a few seconds. I need to get away from the sound or
I feel a panic attack coming on.

Justchillalready
Enjoy your lunch!

@WendyCope - We were stupid to reply, this was clearly a Daily Mail follow up article to the BBC report.
WTF?!

That's all.

If you do have both a separate space to eat and a boss who doesn't frown on you, ya know, exercising your legal right to a break instead of working through, it's good form to go there. If you've a culture of disapproval over such luxuries it gets a bit more complex. Why would your employer frown?

@GrabEm Most days my colleagues and I eat lunch at our desks. I know this is a bit gross but I guess we're used to it and needs must.... While we are legally and technically allowed breaks etc, the environment is such that we tend not to take an actual break from the desk. Ironically, the colleague with the noise issue is the sole colleague who religiously takes an actual lunch break every day and she guards her lunch furiously. (I don't say this disapprovingly by any means - in fact I think she's the only sensible one for doing so!). She sits in her car for lunch. I wonder if she eats apples?

I really am grateful to everyone who posted a reply. I'm a new poster and stupidly, despite refreshing the page regularly, I hadn't realised that the replies had gone over 3 pages while I kept refreshing page 1, thinking the thread had reached its end. Hence, my delay in responding.

In the 4 years we've worked together I've always made an effort to eat non-noisy food but of late, I've just started to get a little fed up when I really fancied an apple but didn't want to eat it for fear of being noisy. I'll get over it.