Loud chewing can be annoying as it disrupts the room, which is peaceful; people may look at you while you’re eating because of the loud chewing sound, which is embarrassing.
Did you know that 74% of people find loud chewing sounds one of the most annoying habits? Whether on a first date or in a quiet space, loud chewing can interrupt and take away the joy of a peaceful meal and leave a wrong impression.
Mastering the art of quiet chewing is a game-changer; in this guide, we will discuss the secrets of silent munching, which will completely transform your dining experience and leave people wondering if you’re even eating.
Why Do We Hate The Sound Of Chewing?
Not everyone hates the sound of chewing, but most people do. In fact, for most people, chewing blends with all the other background noises. Some people are not bothered by the noise around them, such as dog barking, baby crying, loud traffic, or arguments going on next door.
For some people, all these sounds that I’ve listed make a huge difference and are not pleasant. At some point, all these sounds will lead to a stage where it triggers a strong emotional response, which is considered a disorder named Misophonia.
People who suffer from misophonia react negatively to various artificial sounds, and the reactions can vary from mild to extreme. In mild cases of disorder, they will show anxiety and discomfort, and extreme cases will be panic attacks, emotional distress, and uncontrollable rage.
Misophonia might seem like like a simple disorder; however, it’s tough to live with and often misunderstood by those who don’t experience it. While we find certain sounds unpleasant, misophonia sufferers find what most of us would consider relatively innocuous noises unbearable.
Some people will manage the misophonia by avoiding trigger sounds or wearing earplugs, and some choose to undergo cognitive behavioral therapy to learn how to react less strongly when they hear the sound that triggers. This therapy requires a lot of time and dedication for an individual to be successful.
Understanding the Causes of Noisy Chewing
We all have sat beside the person who chews loudly, but have you ever thought about why they chew loudly? It’s not about manners. There is science behind it.
Primarily, the anatomy of your mouth plays a significant role. Some people have smaller oral cavities, which will lead to loud chewing. Then comes the jaw structure; a misaligned jaw can make it harder to chew with your mouth closed, leading to a loud chewing sound.
But it’s not always biology. Your food texture also plays a vital role. Crunchy foods like chips and crispy apples are real culprits, but they can’t be blamed every time, as softer food can also cause issues.
Until someone points out, you might not even realize you are chewing loudly if you have grown up in a family where loud chewing was normal.
Understanding these will help you to have quieter eating habits. Once you identify the cause, it will be easy to solve the problem.
How To Chew Quietly: 9 Effective Ways
Chewing loudly and smacking lips is one of the most annoying and distracting habits, and it’s a violation of table etiquette. To help you deal with quiet chewing, here are some of the tips that will help you maintain table etiquette.
1. Practice Quieter Eating
Before going for your next meal, practice quieter eating in front of the mirror and observe how you are eating and what is making loud chewing sounds. You can eat chips and some crunchy things.
Note how you eat and how your mouth is positioned while eating. If you eat loudly, try improving the techniques to chew quietly before heading out for a meal.
This will help you to chew quietly, and as you have taken crunchy snacks and practiced, this will lead to quieter chewing when you’re on the table.
2. Slow Down Your Eating Pace
In this fast-paced world, we all rush through our meals because of several activities. We rush through the dinner to watch our favorite show, but it’s essential to slow down while you are eating as slow and steady wins the race.
If you’re alone at home, it can be understandable that it has been a long day at work, and you are exhausted the second you see food; you are a hungry wolf and start stuffing your mouth, which will result in chewing loudly.
We all have been in this situation, and it’s essential to understand how eating slowly can satisfy your meal. You’ll appreciate the true meaning of full.
Even when you crave the food you’ll appreciate when you finally get it, eating at a slow pace will help in digestion and help you become a pro at quieter eating.
3. Choose Your Food
One of the essential things you can do is pick your food. This will reduce the amount of noise while eating. If you notice that you’re chewing loudly while you are hungry, then probably this would be the reason.
You can choose soft food like bananas, smoothies, and yogurt; hard food like bread and crunchy food will make a loud chewing sound. You can select soft breads and pastries.
If you are craving some crunchy food, then don’t worry. I have got some tricks to chew quietly.
- Let chips soften in your mouth before chewing.
- Make more minor pieces of crunchier snacks before eating.
- If you’re cooking the food at home, cook the vegetables to make them softer.
This will help you to master the quiet chewing habit and maintain table etiquette when you are out for dinner.
4. Take Smaller Bites
Smaller bites will help you chew the food thoroughly, and you will feel full after your meal. Taking large bites will produce noise while eating as your mouth is altogether stuck.
It’s best to take smaller bites to chew thoroughly, and you can enjoy the taste of food and avoid loud chewing sounds. When more food is stuffed in your mouth, the more quickly you have to chew, which means more noise while chewing.
Take smaller bites of food to avoid loud chewing. Your digestive system and your dining companions will thank you, plus you’ll have a complete taste of food and a stomach full.
5. Focus On Eating
When eating the meal, turn off the distractions and eat your dinner with focus. When you focus on your meal, you will eat quietly without chewing loudly. When you’re watching TV or phone while eating, you’ll stuff your mouth.
The best way to eat your meal is by turning off the distractions and focusing on your meal.
6. Keep Your Mouth Close While Eating
Keeping your mouth open while eating will not only escape the food but also allow the air to air, which leads to a smacking sound. These sounds are distracting and a violation of table etiquette.
These sounds are easily avoided by keeping your mouth closed while you eat. It is a small habit, but the impact dramatically reduces the noise level.
Keeping your mouth close while chewing will help your taste buds to experience the flavor of food. This will also help better digestion and prevent gas passing, such as chewing your food thoroughly and swallowing with less air in your mouth.
To implement this habit, you need to close your mouth when you take a bite of food. Avoid drinking and any activity that is causing your mouth to open. Seal your lips each time and let your jaw do the rest. By constantly doing this, you’ll practice the technique and be a quiet eater overall, as well as promote table etiquette.
7. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated keeps your mouth moist, and you can chew smoothly without the loud chewing sound. Eating food with a dry mouth will put pressure on your jaw, leading to loud chewing sounds.
Hydrating your mouth will help to avoid friction and chew food quietly. It’ll help soften your food. Sip water throughout the meal, and choose fruit juice to keep yourself hydrated.
Choose food that contains water, like fruits and vegetables. They are easy to eat and make less noise when chewing.
8. Changing The Chewing Angles
When you eat, try to eat from left to right, as this will give rest to the jaw from time to time by reducing the time spent chewing from a single side mouthful.
9. Blockout The Outside Noise
When you eat outside, block out the noise, as outside noise will make you chew louder. It’s necessarily something you do consciously. Sometimes, noise will bring in more noise.
If you are eating outside or in any public place like a cafeteria, then try to shut down all the noise around you completely. Don’t focus on the noise around, like random conversation or equipment noise.
This will help you chew quietly without disturbance and focus on your meal, letting the taste buds experience the flavor of the food.
Final Thoughts On Chewing Quietly While Eating
Chewing loudly will make the dinner experience. Bad and annoying for the people on the table. You can practice chewing quietly as practice makes you perfect, but it’s impossible always to chew quietly.
When you are out for dinner, ensure you pay attention while you are chewing, as this may help you chew quietly and maintain table etiquette. When alone at home, you can also try chewing quietly by taking smaller bites and chewing the food thoroughly.
This will help you experience quieter dining; your table companions will thank you. Another way to deal with this problem is by following the tips listed above, which will help minimize the loud chewing sound. Try out the tips and see how much of the noise is reduced.
If you like this, don’t forget to share it with friends and family who are irritated by noisy neighbors.
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