Redditor feels awkward eating alone at work, netizens say it's perfectly fine
It might seem like one of the simplest parts of working life in Singapore - the lunch break - but for one Redditor, finding people to eat with has been unexpectedly stressful.
"I've got people I talk to but we don't eat lunch together since they have their own group," wrote user Neat-Objective-4310, who has been with the company for five months.
The Redditor didn't disclose the nature of the business or the location but shared that they now eat at a nearby café to avoid eating alone at the office pantry, where colleagues gather in their own cliques.
The Reddit post struck a chord online, garnering 261 upvotes and 137 comments.
'Just ask to join'
Most netizens reassured the Redditor that eating alone was perfectly fine - though some offered practical advice.
"Any reason you didn't ask to join them to eat lunch together?" asked one.
"Try to mingle. Can also try to learn soft-skills (colleagues engagement)," said another.
One commenter speculated why the Redditor might not have been invited.
"If you want to eat with them just ask," they said.
"People can't read your mind. You have to be more proactive. Sometimes they don't ask you because they're also not sure if you would prefer some alone time during lunch break," the commenter added, adding that the café trips may have given colleagues the impression that the Redditor preferred to eat alone.
Most users, however, expounded on the joys of solitude at lunch.
"Work and meetings already talk to my colleagues enough. Lunch time I want to rest my brain, doomscroll, watch Netflix and reddit. I rather eat alone lol," wrote one.
"You must be young," said another "I freaking love having lunch alone. Not having to listen to people yak about nonsense is a luxury, especially during lunch."
Some even shared how they avoid group lunches altogether.
"I'm kinda the opposite of your situation OP," wrote one user. "My colleagues always asked me to go lunch, but I'm not keen as they often just complain about office politics or work overload.
"I do have a lifehack to avoid this by always going for my workout at a nearby gym… I can also save money by eating a sandwich at my workstation when I'm back to work (instead of the $10-$12 lunch in town)."
One sagely user offered this perspective to the presumably young original poster: "One day when you've truly learnt how to embrace strength in loneliness, you have mastered adulthood."
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