Many of us who have good hearing health from the beginning of life will likely find the experience of losing any level of hearing hard. However, it’s something that happens to many people, particularly as they get older.
For some, it can be an abrupt hearing loss, whether that’s due to an illness or working in loud environments that don’t provide you with protective hearing equipment.
There’s a lot of anxiety, despair, and frustration that can come with hearing loss. It’s truly a mixed bag of emotions, and so knowing how to tackle this through your wellness efforts is important. This guide will look at how you can create a sustainable wellness approach when managing hearing loss and anxiety combined.
Medical and professional support
Seeking treatment for hearing loss is important and is one of the most effective steps when it comes to treating the underlying hearing loss itself.
There are a lot of great hearing devices available, from hearing aids to cochlear implants that help to improve communication ability and reduce listening fatigue, too. Choosing those devices, though, can prove to be the first hurdle in your journey, and so one that you want to be prepared for.
Consulting professionals like audiologists and general practitioners, as well as mental health workers, can all be useful when you’re struggling with the process as a whole. You may feel like you want more support in the journey, especially if you are lacking the understanding of one or all aspects of hearing loss.
Not everyone, after all, has even had a hearing test in their life, and so getting a diagnosis and exploring what’s beyond that can certainly be daunting, to say the least.
Counseling is also something that many might consider when it comes to improving their health and mindset towards hearing loss. Therapists and counselors who specialize specifically in chronic health conditions or disabilities can often provide beneficial coping mechanisms, as well as a safe space to express those feelings of anxiety and worry.
Communication and social strategies
When it comes to hearing loss and anxiety, self-advocacy is quite possibly the most important thing to practice. After all, who will really advocate for you the best? Yourself, of course!
You must be communicating your needs to family, friends, and colleagues alike. Simple requests, whether that’s asking people to face you head-on when speaking, to maintaining a moderate and natural pace when talking. These may all feel like you’re asking too much, but in fact, you’re asking for very little, of which it’s benefiting you greatly.
Finding quieter locations for conversations can help to greatly improve the interactions you have with others, both those you know and those that you’re meeting for the first time. The latter can be particularly challenging and anxiety-ridden.
Assistive technologies are also something you should be using to your advantage when it comes to your well-being. Leveraging tools that go beyond the hearing aids themselves is essential to help amplify a positive experience.
Make use of smartphone captioning apps, for example, or landline phones with captioning. Visual alert systems are effective too when it comes to being alerted of someone at your door or a smoke alarm going off in your home.
Staying socially active is another big benefit to helping improve your wellbeing and to help rid yourself of those anxious thoughts by putting yourself out there. Of course, while it can be challenging to do this, maintaining social connections is vital for your mental health.
There are many ways in which you can connect with others. Your own circle of family and friendships is always there, but you may want to branch out to support groups and those who are also dealing with hearing loss that is similar to yours or different.
Spending time with others in your condition can really help when you need someone to talk to about all the hardships, the lows, and highs that come with hearing loss.
Lifestyle and mind-body wellness
Everything you do in your day-to-day life is important for your well-being, too. It’s everything outside of your hearing loss that can help support you and your feelings in general.
Incorporating mindfulness and relaxation is something that’s helpful for any type of mental health struggle. Techniques like deep breathing, yoga, or meditation can help manage your stress levels and ease those feelings of anxiousness, too. It can help to calm the nervous system and also improve one’s focus.
Engaging in self-care activities is helpful, and it’s something that many people can take a leaf out of when it comes to looking after themselves in general. Everyone should be making time for themselves, and this time should be non-negotiable. Pursue hobbies that don’t rely on your hearing so heavily and do things that bring you genuine joy and happiness.
Doing more acts of self-care for yourself helps to maintain your identity and also provides a break from the strain and fatigue that comes with listening.
Try to do more when it comes to prioritizing your physical health, too. It’s all connected after all, and when your physical health is in jeopardy, your mental health often follows suit. By giving yourself a more balanced diet and regular exercise, it improve your overall well-being and blood flow to the auditory system. This can directly benefit your hearing health, too.
If you’re looking to improve your surroundings, modifying your environment can certainly be a useful one. Think about minimizing background noise where possible and in public, opt for quieter spots. At home, you’ve got more flexibility in how you adapt your home to your hearing.
For example, you could look to use sound-absorbing materials like curtains and carpet in order to improve acoustics.
There are many ways in which you can help improve your wellness when it comes to hearing loss and those feelings of anxiety. Integrating these strategies helps to foster emotional resilience and creates a sustainable, positive approach to living with hearing loss and the mental load that comes with it.