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Never Going Back - A Week of Not Eating Lunch at My Desk
- JoeAltmaier 13y agoGo out to lunch 20 years now. I have to get out of the office for an hour to keep my sanity.
- bra-ket 13y agojust buy some cigarettes and take breaks often
- melloclello 13y agojust wait until HN finds out nicotine is (technically) a powerful nootropic
- buckbova 13y agoI never eat lunch at my desk because I think it's inconsiderate to my coworkers. They should not have to smell or see what I am eating, let alone hear me crunch into chips or an apple.
- kennu 13y agoI think it's inconsiderate of the employer to provide desks where you cannot eat lunch in peace.
- kyrra 13y agoAgreed. Even in a place with full-size cubes, you can still hear/smell food from others. My old office, we group of us would eat lunch in a conference room. During that time we did various activities: Watching various TV shows on the projector. Playing card games (lots of Magic The Gathering), and other fun stuff. Working at home it's a bit different. I generally eat at my desk. I sometimes use that time to go for a walk or go to the gym. But mostly it's internet reading. :\
- adricnet 13y agoYep. Nothing built inter-team hostility at the last place like someone from another floor (galaxy) booking our breakfast eating spot ( near our cubes) for some meeting of theirs. Or a week of job interviews while we were short staffed and hiring frozen ... but anyway.
- hnriot 13y agoI find this quite ridiculous, people are not these fragile creatures that can't see, hear or smell anything other than the usual office sights, sounds and aromas. I think you're over thinking this. Unless you're eating weird stuff like boiled lungfish or whatever then I suspect nobody is paying the slightest attention to you eating chips or an apple.
- Touche 13y agoIf you allow people to eat at their desk inevitably someone will bring in stinky tuna salad every day.
- raverbashing 13y agoTuna salad is the least bad of the problems Really
- ItendToDisagree 13y agoEvery place I have ever worked this has become a problem at some point for some person (or group of people). Someone decides to reheat some fish they caught and had for dinner last night, or has a really heavy garlic/curry dish they heat up and bring to their desk, or covers their food in a pungent sauce, or they bring in McDonalds/greasy fast food, etc. Inevitably someone complains and HR sends out the "please be considerate of other people when deciding to eat at your desk" email. It seems to happen more quickly in multicultural environments, where many people have different tastes/sensibilities, but this has just been my experience. Edit: Re-wording! For clarity!
- buckbova 13y agoI don't want to hear you crunching into carrots or biting and slurping an apple. I don't want to smell your leftovers from yesterday. I don't want to hear the rustle of your take-out bags. Please find another place to eat. Why is that so difficult?
- slm_HN 13y agoIf the sound of a bag rustling sends you into such a tailspin what does an overheard conversation do? At some point you simply have to develop the power of concentration. Try focusing intently on your work rather than focusing intently on your surroundings.
- bluedino 13y agoWe're not allowed to because they don't want us spilling things on the floor and ruining the carpets.
- raverbashing 13y agoThank you. This is very considerate Coming from a culture where no, people don't eat at their desks, this is really weird for me. I go and have lunch somewhere (and this has not been a problem in any country I worked). If I really can't go I starve, or go later. This would be only an exception in "We're saving Apollo 13" kind of stuff.
- schandur 13y agoFunny you should mention about the cultural differences - a German neighbor of mine moved to Munich after a few years in New York. Whereas she was accustomed to eating at her desk in NYC, she was asked to eat her "stinky tuna salad outside the office!"
- marknutter 13y agoSometimes I like to eat lunch at my desk, other times I eat in the dining area with co-workers, and other times I eat out. Why does it need to be an all or nothing proposition? There are days when I'm very busy on a problem and I don't want the distraction of taking lunch so I'll either eat it at my desk or eat something low impact like a protein bar/shake. Alternatively when I get stuck on a problem I'll take a longer lunch and get away from my computer for a while.
- themodelplumber 13y ago>Why does it need to be an all or nothing proposition? This can depend on personality, circumstances, etc. IMO if someone is stuck in a rut and decides the only way out is a complete polar switch, good for them. At least they are making a change for what they feel is the better. They might already know that they don't do well with half-switches and tend to fall back into the same orbit. Or they might just be really overwhelmed in general and find the feel of small yet firm changes appealing. It can be annoying to have to put up with others' all-or-nothing viewpoints, but it can still be useful to appreciate that their perspective might be informed by experiences that differ from our own.
- marknutter 13y agoI'm fine with people making polar switches but there's no need to write about it as though the thing they switched from is the "wrong" choice. Can't it just be wrong sometimes and/or for some people? Of course, "Sometimes Going Back - A Week of Sometimes Not Eating Lunch at My Desk " doesn't play as well as the original title..
- nimblegorilla 13y agoI think eating at your desk is a wrong choice. There is almost no benefit to eating at your desk. The only potential upside is that you get "more" work done. Anyone who has the opportunity should leave their desk at least three times a week for lunch.
- mratzloff 13y agoI bring a book to work. When I'm not eating with coworkers, lunch is when I forget I have a job and read.
- stevenspasbo 13y agoI've never heard that, but I never do it anyways. Why sit at my desk when we have ping pong, pool, pinball, or arcade games?
- stusmall 13y agoFor me its because I want my lunch to be as short as possible. I want to jam my food down my throat and finish what I'm doing. If I am going to relax it won't be at the office. I have much more fun things to do at home. For me work happens at work, and play happens at home. I keep as strict of a line between the two as I can. That's just how my mind is set up though and I get why others like to relax and unwind throughout out the day.
- coldcode 13y agoI've have never eaten lunch at my desk in 3 decades, I refuse. I need that time away to clear my mind. EIther I go out or eat in the company cafeteria (if it has one) or if I had to eat in some kind of lunch space.
- codelittle 13y agoThere's a forest near my office, and I like to drive up there during lunch and walk for 30 minutes.
- zwieback 13y agoI used to work in Santa Barbara a block from the ocean so I'd go swimming at lunch. Other times I'd get Tacos Rajas from La Super Rica. At my current job my desk is pretty attractive compared to the surroundings so I prefer that. Also, I can pack a pretty good lunch for myself.
- j-b 13y agoDuring lunch I drive up to a park with a wooded area and read or go for a jog. Enjoying the scenery and having some alone time is refreshing.
- fournm 13y agoI actually never bring my lunch to work, entirely for this reason. We don't have a cafeteria, and if I don't force myself to step away from my desk for an hour I'm never going to.
- adricnet 13y agoThis is one of the bits of advice I used to give new hires in NOC and Security: "Sometime things are crazy and we may not get to eat on time or may need to eat at our desks. Don't eat at your desk when you don't have to. Get away for a few minutes for your health and sanity." Unrelated (ish) but much more important: "Don't cook fish in the shared microwaves!" At the current place, all of the microwaves have signs exhorting everyone to "Please cover your food!".
- niuzeta 13y agoA book(physical) is essentially all you need to mentally get away.
- seivan 13y agoI've done a month of exact opposite. Sometimes I didn't eat either. Catch up on WWDC, wrote some cool hacks, update some libraries, write some tests for someone elses library, do some pull requests. Lunch itself is a waste of time, adding co-workers that might eat slower than you where social conventions requires you to stick around (because they are kind enough to do so). I rather just avoid that whole mess. Besides, lunch was invented so I could watch WWDC in peace. I am also lucky to work in a place where no one gets upset or questions it. I actually like the company of my co-workers, but lunch is me being productive.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- mpl 13y agoAnother point to consider is that eating at your desk could be a major source of illness: your phone, tablet, mouse, keyboard, etc., are all great sources for all sorts of germs.
- tcgv 13y agoI agree with you. If you simply turn your keyboard upside down and give it a few slaps you will see a lot of grubbiness comming out!
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- randomdrake 13y agoPutting that into greater perspective with some data: studies have shown your desk environment to have 400 times more bacteria than toilet seats.
- nandemo 13y agoShould we be worried by that? I presume there's some qualitative differences between desk-dwelling bacteria and toilet-seat-dwelling bacteria.
- randomdrake 13y agoGreat question. To be honest, when I was doing my research I was able to come across multiple quotations of a study talking about these numbers. However, attempts to actually find a copy of the study in question led me to two different dead links. It's why I didn't bring it up in my blog post. I simply couldn't find a copy of the source; as compelling as a statement regarding toilet seats may be. I hate that it's so hard to find a copy of an academic study. Should you a find a copy of the study that explored and expounded upon this, I would love to see a link.
- rayiner 13y agoI almost always take lunch, even when I'm very busy. Indeed, especially when I'm very busy. I always found it tremendously invigorating to get out of the office and walk around outside, particularly when I worked in Manhattan where you could totally drown yourself in the crowd and push out work thoughts.
- donretag 13y agoI bike for 75-90 minutes in the middle of the day, so I don't have much time for lunch. I eat while working after my bike ride. That said, I agree with a lot of what the author has said.
- edw519 13y agoI'm just the opposite. I have eaten my lunch at my desk almost every day for years and can't imagine anything else. - I crave LONG periods of time for coding... - By noon, I'm really getting rolling. I hate to stop. - I always plan & pack my lunch exactly like I want. - I love how everyone else is gone & I'm alone. - No one I know eats like me... - I'm tired of explaining/debating food choices. - I hate standing in line or waiting for my waiter. - I hate "small talk" over lunch. - I leave early, before traffic. - I still exercise more than anyone I know. - If I want a break, then I surf or email. - My favorite hour of the day.
- enraged_camel 13y agoI use my lunch periods to get away from the forced socialization of our open-office plan. In fact, that one hour when everyone is down at the cafeteria is usually my most productive hour in the day: I can get stuff done without disruptions or interruptions.
- gdulli 13y agoExactly. Blog posts like this aren't useful. Either it's about prescribing a certain behavior for others, which is obviously a waste of time because we all have different values that lead to equally valid/subjective choices, or it's just intended to describe one person's decision tree, which isn't of general interest. Blogging like this feels like it's driven by narcissism either way.
- Skrypt 13y agoNice post Dave, keep the posts coming!
- Kiro 13y agoI don't want to spend my precious lunch hour being social. Desk lunches are one of the best perks of being a programmer.
- jimhart3000 13y agoBut... when would I read Hacker News?
- gnu8 13y agoMy team normally all leaves the office to go eat as a group in the dining room at noon every day. I wouldn't have it any other way.
- larrik 13y agoI eat lunch in my dining room with my family (remote work is the best!) In my previous job, I would eat lunch out whenever I was in the main office. Otherwise, the owner would decide it was just the PERFECT time for a meeting... In my satellite office I would eat at my desk, though. In my lone office in the back of a warehouse.
- kungfooguru 13y agoDoes anyone else not care even if they did lose productivity to lunch...
- famousactress 13y agoIt's funny, I almost never used to eat lunch when I worked in an office. I'd go have lunch outside of the office with coworkers. Now that I work remotely from home I eat at my desk close to 100% of the time. I rarely try to do actual work while eating, opting instead to stay hands free and watch a pycon talk or part of a documentary or something, but the article definitely resonates with me.. Most of my lunches are interrupted by questions in team chat and I end up feeling rushed back to work and not like I've had an effective break. I think I'm gonna try eating out today :)
- 0x001E84EE 13y agoHow about a look into how much more money you spend by going out to lunch everyday?
- alwold 13y agoEating lunch out every day can definitely get expensive, and people don't realize that. Of course, you don't have to buy your lunch in order to not eat at your desk. Assuming you have a place you can go (in this guy's example, a park), you can always bring something from home. Or, if you need something more exciting than what you can make at home, do like this guy: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2012/02/liberate_yourself_from_the_kitchen_become_a_guerilla_chef_.html http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2012/02/liberate_you... ...and then bring it somewhere other than your desk to eat.
- LeicaLatte 13y agoIts always great stepping out for lunches. Welcome to the real world!
- daigoba66 13y agoI pack a lunch nearly every day. I tend to get hungry 30-45 minutes before most of my coworkers, and I eat lunch at my desk because I don't want to sit by myself in the empty break room. Off topic: the amount of money I save by packing a lunch versus going out is awesome. I also tend to eat a bit healthier as a result.
- hv23 13y agoI can imagine the Onion article - "Man Leaves Dark Building During Day, Is Surprised He Likes Sunshine"
- laureny 13y agoI'm surprised he doesn't mention what I think is the #1 reason for going out for lunch: spending time with your coworkers that is not necessarily work focused. All the reasons he gives seem pretty weak: if you need a break, you can step outside the office for a walk or a coffee or even go read on a bench for 20mn without the activity being necessarily lunch. Eating lunch at your desk has benefits, such as allowing you to go home sooner or doing things at your computer that are not work related but which you enjoy doing (e.g. reading HN). The moral here is not "Always eat at your desk" or "Always eat outside" but "Don't always do the same thing".
- msoad 13y agoI decided to have zero "out of work focused" conversations with my co-workers at my new job. It's the best decision I made. Office politics was always against me because I was speaking with my co-workers about things I do outside of work. I learned that co-workers are no my friends. They are sometimes enemies
- crazygringo 13y agoWow... I have always done the opposite. Lunch conversation with coworkers is always exclusively about non-work-related things. This way we actually get to know each other as people, and enjoy each other's company as human beings. It's a measure of human respect, in a way. Your coworkers might not be true "friends", in the sense that you're not going to hang out with them outside of work, but there's no reason to restrict getting to know them as people. I've never once had problems with 'office politics' resulting from getting to know people in a more genuine way. Of course, we all have private things that might be best for anyone but your closest friends not to know, I'm not saying share everything about your life, but I would be very sad if I worked at a place where I felt I couldn't just casually chat with the people I'm spending half my waking hours with.
- laureny 13y agoFalse dichotomy. It's true that they are not your friends but it doesn't mean that you should never interact with them, nor that you wouldn't enjoy (and maybe even learn from) spending time with them. You spend more time with your coworkers than with your family, so cutting this entire part out of your life for some nebulous principle is not socially smart.
- LaSombra 13y agoI'm from Brazil, where we have lunch on restaurants every day. Very very few people have lunch at the office and even fewer at their desks. When I first went to the US I was appalled by people eating at their desks, today I live in the UK and it's common for people to have lunch at their desks, may it be sandwiches or salads they brought from home. I still can't do it. Reason being I have to breath fresh air, disconnect from the office and have my own personal meal time to sit down and enjoy a meal leisurely. I usually invite people to have lunch with me and I can see that they look almost uncomfortable sometimes.
- dlu 13y agoI read this as I was eating lunch at my desk... nothing spices up a meal like a guilt trip. Yeah ok, maybe I should go take a real break. I usually try to take a real lunch, but it is tempting to get a bit of extra time back during midday. It ends up being a slippery slope where it silently goes from once-in-a-while to all-the-freaking-time. I also probably end up physically leaving my desk, but spending my whole lunch spinning the wheels in my head and that's probably just as problematic.
- _random_ 13y agoSitting the whole lunch period is a bigger problem. Grab a take away, then go for a walk.
- neves 13y agoIt is one of these American cultural differences that we never imagine about other cultures: People eat lunch at the desk, instead of socializing; drinking alcohol outdoors is against the law; police can pick you for loitering...
- yankoff 13y agoIt blows my mind that someone had enough motivation to write a big post on just why eating at desk is bad.
- xiaohanzhang14 13y agoWould you like a cookie for coming to the realization that you're an adult and can make adult choices about your daily behavior? ...why of course, you can eat that cookie wherever you like
- rexreed 13y agoAt first I thought this was going to be a soylent story. I'm glad it's not. Thumbs up for the enjoyment of eating.
- SDGT 13y agoI take a 2 mile bike ride home, hang out for a bit with the cats, and watch some Hulu before heading back. I cherish my lunch breaks.
- icecreampain 13y agoIf you're having productivity problems I feel bad for you, son. I've got a few problems but eating at my desk isn't one. I eat wherever I want and no link-baity blog post isn't going to change my habits none.
- icecreampain 13y agoIf you're having productivity problems I feel bad for you, son. I've got a few problems but eating at my desk isn't one. I eat wherever I want and no link-baity blog post isn't going to change my habits none.
- gtbcb 13y agoOne of the best decisions I ever made at my prior job. I'd take a solid hour for lunch outside, typically with colleagues. Additionally, 2 colleagues and I took a 45 min walk at 330pm everyday. I'd argue that I was significantly more productive by doing this and much much happier.
- gaving 13y ago"I found my mind wandering to other things and realized that I was actually enjoying my food a lot more; remarking internally on how the bread actually taste in the sandwich." jesus christ what
- melloclello 13y agoi know right
- r0h1n 13y agoA somewhat different perspective exists in India. Most large corporations (and a large number of startups too) dissuade people from eating at their desks. Because most Indians love and eat cooked food, which, well, tends to give off the odours of cooked food. An entire floor eating cooked food at their desks will inevitably lead to a lingering odour that settles over everything & everyone. So many of us have two options - eat out at a nearby eatery, or eat your prepared lunch at the internal cafeteria. Personally, and in my circle of friends, we've gone from preferring eating out to preferring eating cooked meals that are either bought at the cafeteria or brought from home. Maybe it's our preference for cooked food, which after a few years of eating out, will always be healthier if you get if from home. And because many of us have the "luxury" of being able to hire cooks who come in the mornings/evenings. There are of course many Indians who prefer eating out, but as they get older (read: 4-5 years of working), they start realizing that home-cooked food is a better proposition. Which is why you'll often find a broad cross-section of employees - from an entry level person to CXOs, bringing cooked food in insulated containers as lunch.
- foocc 13y agoLunch and dinner breaks are my most treasured time periods on many days. Whenever I remember the good old times at university, I think of my walks outside the library - and along the seashore - while taking a rest from studying to eat dinner.
- foocc 13y agoI should add that browsing Wikipedia while eating lunch has made me a nutrition expert, to the surprise of many people. Eating lunch at the desk can also have its advantages.
- corresation 13y agoThe word never is seldom (but not quite 'never') advised, and shines brightly as a warning sign. It appears far too often among these shallow lifehack type articles. In this case someone realized that that they have options about where to eat. While this may seem a tad cynical, in a week they will be back at their desk.
- adamconroy 13y agoThank you. However I must confess that I am conscious of the decisions I make, and I am capable of evaluating the impact those decisions have on me and my particular circumstances. The outcome of this is : Some days I am full of energy and clarity and I eat at my desk and keep working. Some days I am tired, stressed or for some other reason can't focus, and then I might go out and eat in a park and take my time. Some days I have friends who want to meet for lunch. Some days my colleagues want to go out for lunch as a group, typically Friday. Some days I go eat in the common area because I am eating something smelly. Some days I skip having anything substantial at lunch and go home early.