Ah lunch. The one time during the day that we DON'T have to be at work while the sun is up. It can be a very relaxing and calming experience. A good meal, shooting the breeze with some friends, very therapeutic.

However, there is nothing that ruins a lunch more than an annoying "Lunch Buddy". These are the people that shatter any hope for having a restful and fulfilling lunch. The following are some common characteristics of the Lunch Buddy:

• Talks non stop about topics nobody wants to hear about.
• Extremely picky about their food selection and makes everyone go where THEY want to go.
• Awful eating habits (example: extremely loud chewing, super messy, etc.)

It can be pretty hard to ditch these kind of people around lunch time, since they are always on the lookout to see who is going to lunch. You don't want to be rude, so you just can't say "Well Jim, we'd love to have you along, but every time I see you eat I want to throw up and never eat again. So, you can't come". As much as you'd like to, this is not an option.

Fear not, all hope is not lost, here are some suggestions on how to keep a good working relationship with these people but enjoy yourself at lunch at the same time:

• Use instant messenger (IM) to communicate your lunch plans. The less that is spoken, the less they'll know about.
• Don't leave in a big group to go to lunch. Slowly, one at a time, wander away from your desk and meet up at central point far enough away so the Lunch Buddy can't see you gathering.
• Actually suck it up and invite them to lunch once and awhile. This will ease any suspicions they have that you are actually ditching them. You also have a 50/50 chance of them saying that they can't go, which is pretty much win-win for you.
• Pick a place they don't like to go. This is usually a good option, but sometimes they will try to haggle with you and most likely someone in your lunch group will fold and agree to go with them.
• Eat lunch later than the usual "lunch time". This is purely dependent on your schedule, but if you can get away with it, it's a pretty good bet the Lunch Buddy has eaten lunch already. Try for a 1:30 lunch if you can hold out, or go early like at 11:00.

You can always use a combination of the above techniques, to try to raise your chances at success. Using 1 and 2 together is a good way to go, and it's something that I have done before with great success.

Taking a little extra time to plan your lunch can save you hours of wasted lunch opportunities. Now go free yourself from your Lunch Buddy today!

Kevin Augustine is the administrator for Workplace Life - Where Every Cubicle Has a Window. Visit us for helpful articles on common Microsoft Office software such as Microsoft Word and Excel. We also have articles on career management, surviving in the office, professional email tips, and bits of humor to lighten up your day.