The holidays can be a tough time to hear!
Who doesn’t have trouble hearing in noise? No matter how well you hear, the holidays can make it tough to follow conversations. Whether you’re at a family dinner, traveling or attending a party – most situations are likely to be noisy. Holiday hearing is a problem for everyone this time of year! Here are a few survival tips for holiday hearing.
- Distance yourself from the noise. Take a few steps away from loud talkers, TV, stereo or kitchen. Just a few steps away will help!
- Turn your back to the interference. If you SEE it – you will HEAR it! Don’t face the noisy groups, but face the perimeter with your back to the noisy center of the room.
- Step away from the group you are in and angle your body to buffer the noise when chatting at a party.
- Face the person you are talking with. Body language and facial expressions are important to communicating. It’s important to see these cues to understand what is being said.
- Be strategic where you sit or stand. Position yourself around the perimeter of a room rather than in the center where all the noise is concentrated.
- Don’t fake it. While it is tempting to nod and pretend you heard what was said, it can lead to embarrassment. Be honest when you can’t hear because they probably can’t hear you either!
- Manage expectations. Decide to leave early when it becomes stressful to hear and communicate. All that listening can be fatiguing!
- Bring noise-reduction earplugs. You will still hear voices clearly at the party and holiday celebrations. They just tone down the noise!
Did you know that nearly 50% of all families in North Carolina will have a least one family member at the celebration with hearing loss? Encourage them to take our 5 Minute Hearing Test. Help them enjoy good family communication without being their personal hearing assistant. Put this on their schedule for 2019!
Dr. Anita Carroll is a licensed Audiologist and owner of Hearing Solutions in the Triangle, PLLC with over 25 years of experience. Have a few questions about how hearing impacts relationships with others – she can be contacted here. If you’re looking to check hearing or improve listening skills visit our online scheduling here.
