Hearing Challenges for the Holidays: Tips to Stay Connected!
A Season to be Jolly?
Although communication problems are a reality throughout the year, those with hearing loss especially dread the Merry Holiday Season, the marathon socializing time of the year.
Having to talk to people at back-to-back loud events and family parties becomes a frustrating and tiring communication challenge. Why? Because noise drowns out speech signals, which become weak and unclear. Conversations are turned into strings of gibberish that the brain must try to unravel. Suddenly, the Season is not as Jolly as it could be or should be.
Polish those Coping Skills
Even the best of hearing aids have their limits when it comes to sorting out dialogue that moves along at supersonic speed in noisy places. These are situations when Coping Skills become an essential complement to technology. So, do not let hearing loss isolate you. Be bold and awesome and make the most of social experiences—any time of the year.
Here are some coping tips that people have shared in support meetings and that I practice myself:
1) Do not deny communication challenges due to hearing problems. By now, most people have family members or friends with hearing loss and they might even appreciate talking about it. Happens to me all the time.
2) Do not bluff! Ask for clarification. Faking that one understands when one really does not can lead to embarrassing situations. It makes others wonder at comments or laughter that are out of place. And so, the stigma surrounding hearing loss is reinforced!
3) When going to a party, arrive right on time when it is not yet quite as noisy. At least one can talk to the hosts and to some other early arrivals. This might also be the moment to mention that loud music makes it difficult to communicate. Who knows? Someone might take the hint and turn it down.
4) To minimize or eliminate background noise, invite a conversation partner to move to a quieter area. Amazingly, most people like the idea because they too have trouble hearing in the din.
5) When meeting friends at a restaurant, go early and pick out the table that puts you in the most favorable place for following a conversation – away from the bar or kitchen, maybe in a corner where nobody sits behind you. One might ask to have the music turned down. I have done so and restaurants have accommodated me at least to some extent.
6) Remind people of some of the basic rules that ease communication with those with hearing loss, such as facing you for better understanding or getting your attention first before engaging in a conversation.
Might any of you have more items to add to this list? Share them so that we all learn. After all, the goal is for us to stay socially connected—during the Holidays and throughout of the Year.
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For industry Safety Training on Noise-induced Hearing Loss prevention or presentations, please see my website: http://www.hearing-loss-talk.com Or email [email protected]
To learn about ears and hearing, please see my book on hearing loss: What Did You Say? An Unexpected Journey into the World of Hearing Loss, now in its second updated edition. Sharing my story and what I had to learn the hard way.