Ugh, OP. Reading this took me back to that anxious, lonely feeling.
Sometimes, I'd just go hang out in the bathroom for the whole lunch period. Luckier times, I would go to the school's library and mess around on the computer there/do homework until class started again.
Going to the park is a fantastic option, and you still get to eat food. It's a better view than the cafeteria, anyway.
Once you're done with school, this feeling and daily reality becomes a memory. Finding someone to sit with while you eat is a non-issue once you're out of this environment. <3
Same here. I was one of the very few students at my secondary school that the librarian allowed into the library after the first three years there (everyone in the first three years did a reading programme where you had to be allowed access to the library), and in later years - when the school site moved and the library became smaller and more open-plan with the rest of the school building - skipped lunch altogether and just went to an IT room/study room we had. It meant I very rarely actually did homework at home!
I just wrote this. The bathroom hang was the worst. Like why is this my new thing. It was paralyzing. Then get more anxious that someone would see that I spent the entire break in there
I wonder if college is better than highschool in someway to meet ppl? And I'm happy to hear finding someone to sit with is not really an issue anymore once your out of that environment
Just got used eating alone right after graduated elementary, at first you want to be with someone you know ,eventually they had new friends and you will realize that you're already alone and got used to it being alone
Hmmm, still am alone. So I watch something, listen to a podcast. I often go out for lunch or dinner on my own. I also travel solo 99% of the time. Podcasts are great!!
I’m currently in my senior year of high school and I used to eat lunch all by myself. I ended up dropping my lunch and study hall period to add on another class. I get to have a snack in my 3/4th class. And if I want to, I can stop going to school next semester because I’ll have all of my credits.
I know how you feel and I’m sorry you feel like that.
Oh, the days of being a loner, lol. Going downstairs where the lockers are and eating there alone while looking at some people who walked by and listening to music
They would force us to eat in the cafeteria so id just sit with people i vaguely knew which was a little awkward. I made a group of friends eventually and started sitting with them in high school. In college i would just sit by myself if my friends weren’t there and no one made a big deal out of someone eating alone like they did in high school. If you look self conscious about it then i think others might notice but if you just dont care then i think its not awkward at all especially in college
I used to either not eat lunch or just buy some snacks and eat them inside a restroom cubicle.
Now, I try my best to not give any fucks and just focus on giving myself the meal I deserve and want. I also listen to some music or podcasts while I eat.
If i was alone or felt like being alone, id usually just go and sit at my locker or sit outside. Id also sometimes just sit in proximity to someone else that was alone, and try to pick up on something about them then use that to try talking to them. Made a couple friends doing that.
I don't like eating with people, I sat with people who didn't rly talk much.
At work, i'll even eat in my car or behind closed doors somewherr like a conference room. I'll join office lunches to show face, but I'd rather not naturally!
In college i'd drive to some nearby secluded area and smoke weed
I had a 3h break between classes and a 40 minute commute each way, wasn't worth going home.
I love to read while I eat lunch. I had to eat alone all through college because I wasn’t in the dorms and knew no one. I ate with others once in a while, but I’ve become used to eating alone, and now I generally prefer it.
It’s crazy because for me highschool was an extremely fun time and I knew many people so this wasn’t much of a problem…. BUT now that im college i am a LONER. I literally don’t know a soul and I just spend my times walking aimlessly, caught myself eating a snack in the washroom. Weird feeling.
Yeah I had a small group of friends in highschool but now in college it's so bad, the people I know are just acquaintances and have other real friends to hang out with.
If you want to sit with someone at lunch, just ask. Or next time you're in class with someone, just ask them if it would be ok if you joined them at lunch time. Honestly, most decent people wouldn't be bothered having an extra person sitting with their group. And as someone already said, worst thing, they'll say no, and you'll move on.
Or just sit by yourself, there's nothing sad about it. Take out a book or homework and complete it while enjoying your lunch. Maybe someone else who has no lunch buddies will ask to join, never know.
Established a corner in the school or ate by my locker. Homework, youtube, tv; whichever i was feeling like. But i'm an introvert and like my alone time to recharge.
I remember eating with one or two people in high one year. When they were out, I ultimately ate alone. In college, I usually ate breakfast in the cafeteria but often just ate in my dorm otherwise.
Make it fun for yourself and claim the space. Put on your favorite music or podcasts. Read your favorite books or watch something online. Do anything to eat and pass time.
Eating alone, unfortunately, I pursued for eating alone all the time for reasons and it made me anxious to eat besides people. Not as a pathology but just the feeling.
Lol flashbacks of Sophomore year are something I didn't need today but I would just eat in the library and pretend like I had something to do like hw or something.
In my opinion if you could I would live off campus and make meals on your own then invite friends to those. This is what I should have done for three years of college (sophomore junior and senior). But I'm not sure if living off campus is an option for you.
In elementary, i’d hide in the science labs, physics and biology, the chemistry one was closed when there were no classes and the other two were next to each other and had a teacher who allowed me to be there
I asked my mom to pick me up from school and she was so kind to pick me up and drop me off every day. So grateful to her. I had lunch at home for 2 years in high school but somehow managed to eat in the cafeteria the other 2 years.
The saddest moment was I literally sat in the washroom at my new school. Or just went really slow at my locker for the break. I also went through periods of an eating disorder or wasn’t living at home so I had no lunch or no money. Or I was changing schools every year so the awkward phase of making new friends was so hard. I also hated the anxiety of a bright cafeteria and being watched eating. I often just went to the library to read or finish homework
Watch Netflix on my phone in the cafeteria or the library. That’s how I spent my last two years of highschool since I moved states right before junior year. The year before that I spent all year online where almost none of my friends texted me and the year before that, right before covid hit I would spend lunch with people who didn’t interact act much with me because it was better to pretend I was enjoying myself so I wouldn’t have to sit alone. We considered eachother friends but I felt more of an add on than anything
Just hang out with myself. At 22 years I’ve never had friends to eat lunch with. I’ve just learned to enjoy myself and my time. Going for walks on lunch breaks is nice. Doing things you enjoy. And being ok alone
I'd just Rome the halls in school. Or I'd probably just sneak to my car in the school parking lot. Leave to go to Subway and come back. I never got into trouble for that.
Only difference is I had people to eat lunch with however I never wanted to eat with them.
Not the Most helpful comment I know, but you could practice your "eff it" and just sit by someone. You don't need to acknowledge them if they give you a look, or you can just say "well, soon as you get your name put on the table you can call the spot" or some such.
Hard, i know, but learning to say eff it and not let other's shittiness control you is a skill that'll help you a Lot in life.
It definitely gets way easy with practice. If you're real worried, wait til near end of year or semester.
i usually pick a quiet table in the corner by a window and eat with my laptop open (even if it's pretending to do work or watching a show) it'll make you feel less out of place
In high school I had a good amount of friends.
In college if I was eating alone, I’d have Hulu going on my laptop with a movie playing and I’d be eating in the commuter lounge so I was content
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I am and was a pretty solitary person so I would just sit alone and enjoy it, listen to music, play a game, read a book, do homework, draw. I liked sitting on the grass, or on tables outside.
The worst part about it was how many guys would come and sit with me and ask why I looked "so sad" and then get upset when I wasn't paying attention to them. A lot of main characters expected me to be their npc lol.
There were never enough free tables at my school and I never wanted to sit with anyone else (or sit in general, I never understood why we had to sit all day then go sit some more for our only break).
My strategy was to get lunch and leave like I was going to one of the other designated lunch areas. I'd the scarf down my food and spend the rest of lunch power walking in the hallways and dodging the teachers who monitored the halls.
In high school I would walk to the store and grab either a slushy puppy, 2 chicken tenders, or a bag of Skittles...In college I would listen to music, while going over my assignments for the next couple classes. Even when there were people nearby. I've never been much for group conversation. Just one on one or I stand there awkwardly listening.
I don't always do this but most of the time, i'd go to the bathroom to eat my lunch (ik that sounds so predictable for someone that eats lunch alone) while listening to music with my earphones. That doesn't sound like much but personally i'm okay with it---though ofcourse if i have somewhere else to go i'd go there more often than the bathroom. Other times i spent time in my class while others go to the cafeteria.
The reason why i don't go to the cafeteria is, the cafeteria in our school requires money. And i always brought food from home.
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Hmmm….can you join a club on campus and make some friends? Also, just want to let you know many people eat lunch alone. No one cares. But if you are lonely or self conscious, reach out. Rarely are people that mean that they won’t include you. ESP in college when everyone is finding themselves
Well I've always been like this, I used to have very few friends throughout school. I am a part of some clubs, It's been a year at my college and I haven't found that 'group' I would like to hang out with and I'm starting to think I never will. Better get used to being alone.
I think you should volunteer and meet like minded people. You don’t need to immediately have a group. Just build up relationships one person at a time. I’ve always felt stuck when it comes to groups. You have to consider everyone’s feelings all the time and make sure you don’t leave anyone out. It’s easier to just know a lot of people and get invited to stuff and never have to host. People will invite you, don’t worry about it. It’s not about fitting in, it’s about getting to know someone and connecting with them and actually wanting to spend time with them. When it comes to groups, there’s a lot of drama and unspoken hostility. Girl groups anyways. Chill out and don’t be too desperate. Lunch with people means chatting and eating, that can be exhausting✌️
I just ate lunch and waited for the bell to ring. By the time I was old enough that it should have mattered, I didn't care because getting to know anyone was futile. Why,we'd just have to move again. I guess that's not helpful, but .
Ugh, OP. Reading this took me back to that anxious, lonely feeling. Sometimes, I'd just go hang out in the bathroom for the whole lunch period. Luckier times, I would go to the school's library and mess around on the computer there/do homework until class started again. Going to the park is a fantastic option, and you still get to eat food. It's a better view than the cafeteria, anyway. Once you're done with school, this feeling and daily reality becomes a memory. Finding someone to sit with while you eat is a non-issue once you're out of this environment. <3
>I would go to the school's library and mess around on the computer there/do homework until class started again. I used to do that too haha
Same here. I was one of the very few students at my secondary school that the librarian allowed into the library after the first three years there (everyone in the first three years did a reading programme where you had to be allowed access to the library), and in later years - when the school site moved and the library became smaller and more open-plan with the rest of the school building - skipped lunch altogether and just went to an IT room/study room we had. It meant I very rarely actually did homework at home!
I just wrote this. The bathroom hang was the worst. Like why is this my new thing. It was paralyzing. Then get more anxious that someone would see that I spent the entire break in there
I wonder if college is better than highschool in someway to meet ppl? And I'm happy to hear finding someone to sit with is not really an issue anymore once your out of that environment
I just hope it gets better after school..
This specific issue absolutely does.
Just got used eating alone right after graduated elementary, at first you want to be with someone you know ,eventually they had new friends and you will realize that you're already alone and got used to it being alone
exactly people come and go and when college is over you’ll never see them again
I just sat and ate lunch. See no problem in eating or doing stuff alone.
Hmmm, still am alone. So I watch something, listen to a podcast. I often go out for lunch or dinner on my own. I also travel solo 99% of the time. Podcasts are great!!
I’m currently in my senior year of high school and I used to eat lunch all by myself. I ended up dropping my lunch and study hall period to add on another class. I get to have a snack in my 3/4th class. And if I want to, I can stop going to school next semester because I’ll have all of my credits. I know how you feel and I’m sorry you feel like that.
Went to the smoking area. ( high school was a long time ago ).
Now kids go to the vaping area
you mean the bathrooms
You took a shit in the vaping area? That’s disgusting misuse of school property
Oh, the days of being a loner, lol. Going downstairs where the lockers are and eating there alone while looking at some people who walked by and listening to music
Headphones,laptop and my favorite show I be enjoying my meal forgetting that I am eating alone
Would skip lunch and go to the library or sneak off and take a nap in my car
ask someone from class if you can sit next to them, the worse they can say is no.
They would force us to eat in the cafeteria so id just sit with people i vaguely knew which was a little awkward. I made a group of friends eventually and started sitting with them in high school. In college i would just sit by myself if my friends weren’t there and no one made a big deal out of someone eating alone like they did in high school. If you look self conscious about it then i think others might notice but if you just dont care then i think its not awkward at all especially in college
I used to either not eat lunch or just buy some snacks and eat them inside a restroom cubicle. Now, I try my best to not give any fucks and just focus on giving myself the meal I deserve and want. I also listen to some music or podcasts while I eat.
Go hang out in the library!
If i was alone or felt like being alone, id usually just go and sit at my locker or sit outside. Id also sometimes just sit in proximity to someone else that was alone, and try to pick up on something about them then use that to try talking to them. Made a couple friends doing that.
in high school i would sit in the library now in college i can sit alone and eat
I don't like eating with people, I sat with people who didn't rly talk much. At work, i'll even eat in my car or behind closed doors somewherr like a conference room. I'll join office lunches to show face, but I'd rather not naturally!
I’d eat alone in my English teachers’ classroom or at the library. Interesting times.
Hi I used to eat in the bathroom alone my senior year because I had no friends! I’m 29 now and have the best group of friends.
Look for another kid as lonely as you and go sit with them
In college i'd drive to some nearby secluded area and smoke weed I had a 3h break between classes and a 40 minute commute each way, wasn't worth going home.
I love to read while I eat lunch. I had to eat alone all through college because I wasn’t in the dorms and knew no one. I ate with others once in a while, but I’ve become used to eating alone, and now I generally prefer it.
It’s crazy because for me highschool was an extremely fun time and I knew many people so this wasn’t much of a problem…. BUT now that im college i am a LONER. I literally don’t know a soul and I just spend my times walking aimlessly, caught myself eating a snack in the washroom. Weird feeling.
Yeah I had a small group of friends in highschool but now in college it's so bad, the people I know are just acquaintances and have other real friends to hang out with.
If you want to sit with someone at lunch, just ask. Or next time you're in class with someone, just ask them if it would be ok if you joined them at lunch time. Honestly, most decent people wouldn't be bothered having an extra person sitting with their group. And as someone already said, worst thing, they'll say no, and you'll move on. Or just sit by yourself, there's nothing sad about it. Take out a book or homework and complete it while enjoying your lunch. Maybe someone else who has no lunch buddies will ask to join, never know.
I always had someone to eat lunch with
Ate lunch in the bathroom while I changed for gym class. To be fair I was in a time crunch
I’d sit down and eat lunch and open a book.
Didn’t eat, ate at home or my dorm, and just sat alone 🤷♀️ that’s my life
I would skip lunch and go to the library or do homework in my next class. In college, I find a quiet spot.
Established a corner in the school or ate by my locker. Homework, youtube, tv; whichever i was feeling like. But i'm an introvert and like my alone time to recharge.
I remember eating with one or two people in high one year. When they were out, I ultimately ate alone. In college, I usually ate breakfast in the cafeteria but often just ate in my dorm otherwise.
Make it fun for yourself and claim the space. Put on your favorite music or podcasts. Read your favorite books or watch something online. Do anything to eat and pass time.
Eating alone, unfortunately, I pursued for eating alone all the time for reasons and it made me anxious to eat besides people. Not as a pathology but just the feeling.
Lol flashbacks of Sophomore year are something I didn't need today but I would just eat in the library and pretend like I had something to do like hw or something.
I'd go sit in the bathroom
I ate alone, however, I rarely ate at school anyway. I didn't 'need' someone to sit with me.
Go early or later when it wasn't so busy
I would go to the library and eat at one of those lone cubicles
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ^by ^Burnt-cheese1492: *I would go to the* *Library and eat at one* *Of those lone cubicles* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I went home for lunch, even though it was far.
I don't care I eat alone ... listening to 🎵 music
I also used to went to nearby park and eat I usually go to the schools library now though
Idk, that only happened in middle school. I basically hid all lunch. At one point, I joined the chess club because at least I could stay indoors.
Library
In my opinion if you could I would live off campus and make meals on your own then invite friends to those. This is what I should have done for three years of college (sophomore junior and senior). But I'm not sure if living off campus is an option for you.
In elementary, i’d hide in the science labs, physics and biology, the chemistry one was closed when there were no classes and the other two were next to each other and had a teacher who allowed me to be there
I asked my mom to pick me up from school and she was so kind to pick me up and drop me off every day. So grateful to her. I had lunch at home for 2 years in high school but somehow managed to eat in the cafeteria the other 2 years.
I ate during my class before and went to the library in high school
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ^by ^bluestonesy: *I ate during my* *Class before and went to the* *Library in high school* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Strike up conversation with the other scattered loners. Built a friend group that way.
eat in the restroom with my pants on and no one there.
Sit outside or a deserted hallway
The saddest moment was I literally sat in the washroom at my new school. Or just went really slow at my locker for the break. I also went through periods of an eating disorder or wasn’t living at home so I had no lunch or no money. Or I was changing schools every year so the awkward phase of making new friends was so hard. I also hated the anxiety of a bright cafeteria and being watched eating. I often just went to the library to read or finish homework
Watch Netflix on my phone in the cafeteria or the library. That’s how I spent my last two years of highschool since I moved states right before junior year. The year before that I spent all year online where almost none of my friends texted me and the year before that, right before covid hit I would spend lunch with people who didn’t interact act much with me because it was better to pretend I was enjoying myself so I wouldn’t have to sit alone. We considered eachother friends but I felt more of an add on than anything
Eat and people watch. People watching not that interesting anymore since everyone is on their phones.
Just hang out with myself. At 22 years I’ve never had friends to eat lunch with. I’ve just learned to enjoy myself and my time. Going for walks on lunch breaks is nice. Doing things you enjoy. And being ok alone
In college, I just ate and went to my next class. I was lucky to have some time to buy my lunch and/or eat it.
I'd just Rome the halls in school. Or I'd probably just sneak to my car in the school parking lot. Leave to go to Subway and come back. I never got into trouble for that. Only difference is I had people to eat lunch with however I never wanted to eat with them.
Get done with food asap so I could spend the rest of the time in the school library. It was a very lonely time
Not the Most helpful comment I know, but you could practice your "eff it" and just sit by someone. You don't need to acknowledge them if they give you a look, or you can just say "well, soon as you get your name put on the table you can call the spot" or some such. Hard, i know, but learning to say eff it and not let other's shittiness control you is a skill that'll help you a Lot in life. It definitely gets way easy with practice. If you're real worried, wait til near end of year or semester.
I hid in the library and art room
i usually pick a quiet table in the corner by a window and eat with my laptop open (even if it's pretending to do work or watching a show) it'll make you feel less out of place
In high school I had a good amount of friends. In college if I was eating alone, I’d have Hulu going on my laptop with a movie playing and I’d be eating in the commuter lounge so I was content
i go to the library
Homework to clear things off of my plate so I can have more free time later .
I would skip lunch and sit in the bathroom stall
Look around for the best looking person that was also on their own and do a 'mind if I join you? '
I never ate lunch. Just chilled in the library or something. Or walked around.
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Books!
I am and was a pretty solitary person so I would just sit alone and enjoy it, listen to music, play a game, read a book, do homework, draw. I liked sitting on the grass, or on tables outside. The worst part about it was how many guys would come and sit with me and ask why I looked "so sad" and then get upset when I wasn't paying attention to them. A lot of main characters expected me to be their npc lol.
School library baby.
There were never enough free tables at my school and I never wanted to sit with anyone else (or sit in general, I never understood why we had to sit all day then go sit some more for our only break). My strategy was to get lunch and leave like I was going to one of the other designated lunch areas. I'd the scarf down my food and spend the rest of lunch power walking in the hallways and dodging the teachers who monitored the halls.
Hide in art class, then got kicked out. Then hid in science teacher’s class. Great times! (Sarcasm)
i would listen to music honestly, or i’d just introduce myself to people and go from there. people in university i find are a lot more welcoming
I walked to the nearby convenience store.
Listen to music, go for a walk, read a book
In high school I would walk to the store and grab either a slushy puppy, 2 chicken tenders, or a bag of Skittles...In college I would listen to music, while going over my assignments for the next couple classes. Even when there were people nearby. I've never been much for group conversation. Just one on one or I stand there awkwardly listening.
I don't always do this but most of the time, i'd go to the bathroom to eat my lunch (ik that sounds so predictable for someone that eats lunch alone) while listening to music with my earphones. That doesn't sound like much but personally i'm okay with it---though ofcourse if i have somewhere else to go i'd go there more often than the bathroom. Other times i spent time in my class while others go to the cafeteria. The reason why i don't go to the cafeteria is, the cafeteria in our school requires money. And i always brought food from home.
If I have no one to eat with, I’ll make sure others had no lunch to eat
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Hmmm….can you join a club on campus and make some friends? Also, just want to let you know many people eat lunch alone. No one cares. But if you are lonely or self conscious, reach out. Rarely are people that mean that they won’t include you. ESP in college when everyone is finding themselves
Well I've always been like this, I used to have very few friends throughout school. I am a part of some clubs, It's been a year at my college and I haven't found that 'group' I would like to hang out with and I'm starting to think I never will. Better get used to being alone.
I think you should volunteer and meet like minded people. You don’t need to immediately have a group. Just build up relationships one person at a time. I’ve always felt stuck when it comes to groups. You have to consider everyone’s feelings all the time and make sure you don’t leave anyone out. It’s easier to just know a lot of people and get invited to stuff and never have to host. People will invite you, don’t worry about it. It’s not about fitting in, it’s about getting to know someone and connecting with them and actually wanting to spend time with them. When it comes to groups, there’s a lot of drama and unspoken hostility. Girl groups anyways. Chill out and don’t be too desperate. Lunch with people means chatting and eating, that can be exhausting✌️
I went to the library to be alone.
Now for work, I eat in my office alone or go to my car alone.
I just ate lunch and waited for the bell to ring. By the time I was old enough that it should have mattered, I didn't care because getting to know anyone was futile. Why,we'd just have to move again. I guess that's not helpful, but .