Do you ever work a full day without eating lunch?

[isthisallnormal]

I'm struggling with vicious anxiety and ended up doing this last week. I couldn't make myself get up, go to buy food, it just all seemed too much and i literally was frozen at my desk. I didn't drink any water or coffee and also couldn't make myself get up and go to pee despite needing too.

Normally I'm a big fan of eating regularly throughout the day so this is very unusual for me. I felt like utter shit, very weird and faint until I came home and grabbed some bread and cheese. I do have quite low blood pressure and wonder if a lack of drinks made that drop.

But it got me wondering - I'm sure I've read about how it's quite common for people to skip lunch or not take any time to eat because they are so busy? And nurses for example often don't get time to eat or pee throughout their shift?

Is it common at your workplace to not have lunch or regular tea or coffee breaks?

No, I don't go the whole day without food, drink or toilet breaks and nor do any of my colleagues, so far as I can see.

Yeah everyday. Before I know it is 4pm and I've had no breakfast or lunch. I do drink loads of water though. Not ideal but I'm working on it

I’m a nurse but community based not ward
if I’m busy (usually am) I have to take food and drink with me otherwise it becomes tricky to go and buy it. So typically I’d think I’ll go and get it after x y or z and then I don’t.
it’s unhealthy to withhold food or drink for yourself and it makes me ill so I avoid doing it

I work in law and this is my day. I hate it and it's making me so tired. So I'm getting out!

Lots of people don't eat lunch for one reason or another - some by choice, others not.

However, that's not the problem here. You should deal with your anxiety as it's significantly impacting your well-being.

It’s not unusual for me unfortunately. Or my fellow NHS colleagues.

No, I work from home so if I want something to eat or drink I get it.

When I was teaching, my colleagues and I rarely ate a “proper” lunch. I suspect it’s the same for a lot of medics.

I did this regularly when I was a teacher. Also restricted liquids so I wouldn’t need the toilet.

Working in hospitality it"s very common. Never get a lunch or tea break and quite often no loo break until after the lunch rush clean up. I've got used to it over the years,so it's my normal.

I often get to work without having had chance to eat and then don’t get any chance to eat during the day, this happens maybe 3 days a week. The really tricky days are the ones when I don’t manage to get a cup of coffee in the morning and then end up with a caffeine /dehydration headache by 3pm which can get really bad for me. So if I do get a minute it’s always spent on making a coffee and not food.

not unusual to go 8-10 hours without a loo break either.

Ive always done this though so it doesn’t affect me that badly. I do find some days harder than others - like on days when I’m exercising after work so can’t eat at the end of the working day either as I’m about to go for a run etc. so I end up eating what’s technically breakfast after my exercise at 8-9pm. I try not to do that but if there’s no time there’s no time.

Yes, very often.

I never have lunch now. Menopause has made me lose my appetite and it's a good way to save money. I do look forward to my tea though!

You realise any exercise done without eating is pointless, your body will go into starvation mode and store more calories when you do eat.

I very rarely take a lunch break. Normally eat at my desk. I do get up and make drinks and go to toilet.

I don't prioritise eating breakfast before I leave in the morning meaning I never eat it on work days and then if I'm very busy or stressed I quite often forget to eat lunch. Sometimes it makes me feel awful and I have to grab something as soon as I get in but if I'm really anxious with the stress I can go without eating for a day or so. I feel horrible after though and am fully aware how awful it is so I keep little snacks at my desk now and make myself eat during the day.

I don't eat at all during the day if at work, I have a very tricky digestive system and eating anything results in chronic diarrhoea 😭 So I wait until I'm home. I'm used to it by now!

Teacher here, often go all day with no food/ lunch break so do colleagues. Fairly normal I think.

I WFH. I work through lunch most days but have a coffee machine in my office. I also keep water by my desk.

I don't consider this healthy, but I have a v demanding, high pressure job and I don't feel hungry when v busy. However, what you are describing is something else entirely. Can you keep some drinks and food at your desk? Cereal bars, fruit for instance?

Not feeling able to go to the loo is worrying, I think that you need to talk to someone about your anxiety.

Nope. Never ever done this. Normally have 3 cups of tea per day, lunch, 2 toilet breaks. Never ever not done this. In the last 15 years. Not once. Ever.

I eat breakfast around 8am and then don't eat again until around 3pm. I'm a dog walker and find that if I stop, sit down and take a break, I don't want to get moving again and feel absolutely rubbish - whereas if I wait until I'm done to sit down and eat, I'm fine.

Yea but I often end up with a blinding headache if I do, especially after missing lunch for a few days on the trot.

Yes I frequently skip lunch, I start around 7:30-745am and usually work straight through. I sometimes try to take a 30 minute break but it doesn't happen often. I do try to end my day at 6pm though :)

I try hard not to miss lunch. My job is physical; it's often a real workout so I certainly notice if I've not fuelled up. That said, if we are extremely busy I do sometimes just have to power through, and it obviously has an impact. I think it's pretty basic self-care to try to notice when you need to eat and drink and to do it.

I’m in the police, and certainly when I was in uniform it was common not to have a break to eat, and not uncommon to not be able to go to the toilet throughout a 10 hour (or longer) shift.