How To Deal With Noisy Eaters at Work?

Euphoria1z

Speak to your manager. Re arrange seating.


Arrange for all noisy eaters to sit on one end of this long desk, preferably near open windows so their noise blends in with outside noise.


All quiet / sensitive people sit on the other end.


People who don't mind the noise that much can sit in the middle.

mattcanary

This whole thread is pathetic, to be honest.


If you are annoyed by someone else's "noisy" eating, then tell them nicely (or nicely ask them to eat more quietly).


What's with all these pathetic games? Or is it some attempt at humour?

I_Can_Haz_Job?

Maybe there's more to it that just the noise of eating. Perhaps dissatisfaction with the job is coming out in this aversion to noise? I was very much in love with an ex and we moved in together - things went stale after a few years and things like the way he breathed made me want to string him up. So this is a little bit like that too, perhaps? I have a one finger, heavy typer in my office and I have to be careful not to fixate on it otherwise it drives me insane - I try very hard to tune it out but I have called him on it before and asked him to calm down. Hell is other people!

xcathx

Maat wrote: »

It sounds to me as though you may have misophonia, also known as selective sound sensitivity syndrome (4S). You can find information about it here:

http://www.misophonia-uk.org/

I hope you can find a solution that works for you.

Thank you so much for mentioning this.

I can identify with the OP so much - noisy eating is one of the worst things for me, but there are a number of other sounds that have affected me in the same way since I was very young.

I have never heard of misophonia before, and until you posted this, I thought I was just overly sensitive to certain things. Having now read a bit about it, it's a relief to actually put a name to it and know that I'm not the only one who experiences this.

As for the OP, I hope you find a way of dealing with this. I tend to leave the room for a few minutes when my colleagues are eating noisily or whispering (another thing that grates on me). They must wonder why I'm constantly going for toilet breaks, but it helps me to calm down a bit and stops me from wanting to shout at them to stop.

If your colleagues are anything like mine, chances are, if you did say something to them, they'd probably only do it more to wind you up.

totalfailiure

I missed the link where someone mentioned misophonia. Never heard of that before. Think I have it because I get so stressed by these things. It's probably hereditary, my dad used to bang on the walls when someone was playing guitar or hammering and he wanted to kill them. I'm the same but get annoyed with everyday sounds like someone stirring a cup and hitting the sides with the spoon or even things I do like walking up stairs at home and making creaks. I drive myself insane.

t0rt0ise

I just used to think it was so funny when a colleague used to drink with the "gulp.. aaaaah" noise. I'd thought that was just a joke noise that people make when they're being silly but she really did it every time. I used to laugh out loud at it in the end and they'd wonder why I was laughing. So funny!


She also used to eat with her mouth open and talk at the same time so when we ate in the dining room, something I didn't often do, I made sure I didn't sit opposite her. (worked at a university, hence the dining room in case anyone wonders.)

Newlyboughthouse

Oh God I feel so sorry for you - the finger sucking thing is freaking disgusting, I can't understand why people do that so noisily - I manage to lick my fingers with no noise at all just fine grrrr

Are these the kinds of people you can banter with yet? If so, just say something to them.

If not speak to your manager.