So, so many family get-togethers.
During the holidays, it probably seems like you’re meeting (or re-meeting) a new long-lost relative almost every weekend. That’s the charm (and, some might say, the curse) of the holiday season. Usually, it’s easy to look forward to this yearly catching up. You get to reunite with everybody and see what they’re up to!
But those family get-togethers might feel less welcoming when you have hearing loss. Why is that? What are the effects of hearing loss at family gatherings?
Hearing loss can impede your ability to communicate, and with other people’s ability to communicate with you. The resulting feelings of alienation can be extremely disheartening and distressing around the holidays. Hearing specialists and professionals have developed some go-to tips that can help make your holidays more pleasant, and more rewarding, when you have hearing loss.
Tips to help you enjoy the holiday season
Around the holidays, there’s so much to see, like lights, gifts, food and so much more. But there are not only things to see, but also things to hear: how Uncle Bob lost his second finger (what?!), how school is going for Julie, how Nancy got promoted, it keeps going.
During holiday gatherings, use these tips to get through and make more unforgettable moments.
Steer clear of phone calls – use video instead
Zoom calls can be a fantastic way to stay in touch with friends and family. If you have hearing loss, this is particularly true. If you have hearing loss and you want to touch base with loved ones over the holidays, try utilizing video calls instead of standard phone calls.
Phones present an interesting dilemma when it comes to hearing loss and communication difficulties. It can be very difficult to hear the garbled sounding voice at the other end, and that makes what should be a pleasant phone call vexing indeed. With a video call, the audio quality won’t actually improve, but you’ll have much more information to help you communicate. Conversations will flow better on video calls because you can read lips and use facial expressions.
Be honest with people
It isn’t uncommon for people to have hearing loss. It’s crucial to let people know if you need help. It doesn’t hurt to ask for:
- People to slow down a little when talking with you.
- Conversations to occur in quieter areas of the get-together (more on this in a bit).
- People to paraphrase and repeat what they said.
People will be less likely to become aggravated when you ask them to repeat themselves if they are aware that you have hearing loss. Communication will have a better flow as a result.
Find some quiet spaces for talking
During the holidays, there are always subjects of conversation you want to steer clear of. So, you’re strategic, you don’t just bring up touchy subjects about people, you wait for those people to bring it up. When you have hearing loss, this even more important, only instead of avoiding certain topics of conversation, you should carefully avoid specific areas in a home which make hearing conversations more challenging.
Here’s how to handle it:
- Try to find brightly lit spots for this same reason. Contextual clues, such as body language and facial expressions, can get lost in darker spaces.
- Try to sit with your back to a wall. That way, there’ll be less background interference for you to have to filter through.
- You’re seeking areas with less commotion. This’ll make it easier to focus on the lips of the individuals speaking with you (and help you lip read as a result).
- There will be quieter areas in the home where you have conversations. That might mean moving away from overlapping conversations or getting a little further away from that loud sporting event on the TV.
Okay, okay, but what if your niece begins talking to you in the loud kitchen, where you’re filling your mug with holiday cocoa? In situations like this, there are a few things you can do:
- Ask your niece to carry on the conversation somewhere where it’s a little quieter.
- You can politely ask the host, if there is music playing, to reduce the volume so you can hear what your niece is saying.
- Quietly direct your niece to a spot that has less going on. And remember to let her know this is what you’re doing.
Speak to the flight crew
So, you’re thinking: what are the effects of hearing loss at family get-togethers that aren’t as apparent? Like the ones that sneak up on you.
Lots of people go on planes during the holidays, it’s especially important for families that are pretty spread out. It’s important that you can comprehend all of the instructions coming from the flight crew when you fly. Which is why it’s really significant to tell the flight crew that you have problems hearing or experience hearing loss. In this way, the flight crew can give you visual instructions if needed. When you’re flying, it’s important not to miss anything!
Take breaks
It can be a lot of work trying to communicate with hearing loss. You may find yourself getting more fatigued or exhausted than you once did. This means that it’s essential to take frequent breaks. This will give your ears, and, maybe more importantly, your brain, some time to catch a breath.
Consider investing in hearing aids
How are relationships affected by hearing loss? Hearing loss has a significant impact on relationships.
Every conversation with your family during the holidays will be enhanced by hearing aids and that’s one of the biggest benefits. And, the best part, you won’t have to continue to ask people to repeat what they said.
Hearing aids will let you reconnect with your family, in other words.
It could take a little time to get used to your new hearing aids. So you shouldn’t wait until right before the holidays to get them. Everybody will have a different experience. But we can help you with the timing.
You can get help navigating the holidays
When you have hearing loss, sometimes, it can feel as if no one understands what you’re going through, and that you have to do it all by yourself. In this way, it’s almost like hearing loss impacts your personality. But there’s help. We can help you get through many of these dilemmas.
The holidays don’t need to be a time of trepidation or anxiety (that is, any more than they typically are). With the right strategy, you can look forward to seeing, and hearing, your family during this time of year.
