Eating apples in confined spaces

[Waking99]

I share a small office with a colleague who eats continually at their desk all day. It’s not smelly food so that’s not an issue, but it’s often crunchy and noisy foods like crisps and apples. I must have some form of misophonia I wasn’t aware of as the sound of someone eating an apple in a quiet room is unexpectedly unbearable and this is causing me a lot of stress! I also feel bad about having these feelings, am I unreasonable? I don’t think I can say anything to colleague I just need to find ways to deal with it? I assume this is a ‘me problem’?

I will leave the room when the food comes out usually, but on the occasion I can’t I feel so stressed. A small radio isn’t really enough to drown out the noise for me and I can’t wear ANC headphones all the time - for instance another colleague drops by to discuss a work issue, everyone is talking and office share colleague will open their bag and get out an apple to crunch and slurp over for the next 10 mins. I can’t leave the room mid convo so I am trapped there with the noise.

Is it really reasonable to eat apples or crisps in small spaces? I would never! 🫣

I would use noise cancelling ear pods and just take them out when you do have to have conversation with another colleague because surely then the conversation would at least buffer some of the noise.

@FizzyStream pregnancy, low blood sugar, underactive thyroid, just to name for a few for you.

I really don't think it is reasonable to ask a colleague not to eat an apple. Really anti-social things like smelly egg sandwiches? Yes that's unreasonable. Heating up stinky mackerel in the office microwave? Yes, that's not on at all. But an apple? No, I think it's you that is unreasonable here, I'm afraid.

I empathize with passion.

I find crisp eating, apple eating, stinky food eating so grim to have to sit next to. I don't mind it at all meal time at all but when I'm trying to work it's distracting and disgusting. It's just an activity in the wrong place. Like nudity in a church or swearing in a business meeting.
Don't eat at your desk like a baby.
My old boss used to eat apples really slowly and then chew really loudly "my healthy snack time".
I don't think there is anything wrong with me. Eating loudly at work is gross.

Ugh. I feel your pain. My colleague gulps his water like he hasn't had a drink for a year. I cannot bear the sound. I have to leave the room sometimes.

I am an apple chomper! Although I honestly think I have good eating manners, don't chew with my mouth open, don't smack my lips, but apples are flipping noisy... I find they help me concentrate, but save it for the wfh days, it does feel unreasonable in the office.

The idea that it’s your right to be able to eat all day including in an office is relatively new and goes with people not getting proper breaks any more.
Of course exceptions should be made for people with medical conditions but I am quite surprised by the people who think it’s outrageous that anyone might be bothered by it.

I think in these modern times of noise-cancelling headphones, they are probably the best solution. Apples drive me mad though so I do sympathise.

I don’t think I can say anything without feeling like a lunatic. I am just losing my mind inside. Loop sounds interesting, I will try this.

It’s not always just a food item it’s also the person who is eating. Looking back now I have a serious problem with my mother and her eating/noise making habits and this person really reminds me of my mother in many ways, so I think this seems to add to how grossed out I am.

My mother licks her fingers and hands (like a cat would) after everything she eats, every single bite. She also licks the whole area of all the cutlery, the plate, crisp packet everything. She lets out a loud throat clearing cough every few minutes. She also rubs her crusty dry feet together a lot. I am certain I have a lot of unpacked childhood traumas 🫣

There is somewhere to eat but they eat all day at their desk. The apple is worse than the crisps as it’s squelchy 🤮

It's also gross on a train; Loud stinky food eating and the crisp eating is ubiquitous. I was trying (like a fool) to read a book on Saturday night on a late train (I had forgotten my headphones) and it smelt and sounded like the fall of the Roman Empire, the whole train just hogging out on stinky food and two young women giving it stereo crisp eating.
I want to say VULGAR but I don't think you're allowed to even think that any more.
Why not go the whole hog and suck your thumb at your desk or bring a blankie to work?

Open plan offices are a nightmare for me as I zone in on noises and they unreasonably annoy me - whether it is eating, whistling, the pitch of some voices, tapping, long nails on keyboards, the list is endless. Probably to do with my tinnitus as it started around the same time in my mid 40s. A combination of not being able to cope with silence as my tinnitus goes into overdrive, not being able to process what people are saying (processing issue not hearing according to audiology), but I also hear and zone in on the quietest of noises so much I just can't think.

What I have to accept is it is me and not them and put in place my coping strategies - WFH as much as allowed with radio on, in office wear a headset and listen to radio, try to direct people to a quiet space to have a conversation. Leave the room for a break if needed. Otherwise just try not to stress about it knowing I can put headphones back on when the conversation is over.

Everyone in the office knows I have problems with sound as I tell them often enough and it helps when I have problems hearing in the open office, but I make sure to make it clear they need to help me if they want to talk and I can't hear them by talking up or going somewhere quieter but all the rest is my problem to manage not theirs.

Sorry if I've given offence - that's been building up for years.

It's a tricky one because your colleague is not doing anything at all unreasonable. But it does bother you and it's not good to feel uncomfortable at your desk. I have friends who have familiar feelings about bananas so I don't think these kind of phobias/ icks are that uncommon. If you decide not to talk to them I would take the apple eating as a cue to go make some tea, do some printing, make a call in another room etc.

I'm autistic and probably have mysophonia too. There are some sounds that make me
Feel ill and some that i don't mind at all. There's no obvious logic to it. It is just the way it is.

I feel this way but would never dream of pointing it out to anyone as its a me problem totally.

I feel you op. I hate noisy/chompy eaters, they’re on the same level of annoying as snoring and loud sneezing. And I really don’t always think it’s mysophonia (sp?) either. Some people are just noisy fuckers and get really pissy when it’s brought up, because apparently they ‘can’t help it’ so everyone else has to put up with it.

I have misophonia. It's got so bad over the years that if unmanaged I can end up having a panic attack.

The only thing that has helped is loop or flare headphones.

I also work from home and have socially acceptable excuses to leave a room when needed.

And yes CRONCHING or heavy breathing while eating, jaw clicking, lip slapping, munching or slurping noises - all instant rage and hyperventilating.

I hate it. I wish I didn't react this way.

My mother licks her fingers and hands (like a cat would) after everything she eats, every single bite. She also licks the whole area of all the cutlery, the plate, crisp packet everything.

Sweet Holy Jeez. I would need years of therapy if I saw that😳 What happens in restaurants?

I have a real problem with eating noises. Especially crunching. And the mulching sound of people's saliva masticating dry food. I don't notice so much when there's background noise.

Apples, crisps, and finger licking are torture for me.

Well no you'd just maybe not continously do it though. You'd find a compromise.

Oh my god. No wonder you're like this. I would heave if I saw someone licking everything including their hands in a restaurant for example. That's rancid. And the dry feet thing 🤢 this is definitely not your fault- blane your issue on your mum. However even though you need to stop occasionally to chat to someone etc in the mean time I'd definitely wear ear phones if you can.

Have had to leave the room whilst reading this thread because husband eating a very crunchy apple and I actually want to slap him…absolutely bloody hate the noise!

Could you make a case for her to have her own office?

Maybe there's somebody else working there that also has misophonia, so could vacate and share with you instead?

It's a you problem I'm afraid. You obviously feel it quite severely if you would notice it while you're mid conversation. There are a few brands that make noise sensitivity ear plugs specifically for this.