How to Enjoy Christmas if you Have a Hearing Loss

If you have a hearing loss, social events at Christmas can mean challenging listening situations. Here is some advice on making the most of those funny stories and reminiscences and immersing yourself in the festive frolics without feeling uncomfortable. 

1. Wear Your Hearing Aids

If you own hearing aids, we encourage you to wear them to all your Yuletide events. Modern digital hearing aids are way more than simple sound amplifiers. They also filter out unnecessary noise to help you focus on speech with minimum distortion. You’ll enjoy your party experience far more if you can engage fully in the conversation.

2. Seek Out a Quiet Place

Stake your claim for the quieter spots when you arrive. These will typically be away from the TV or loudspeakers or places where people congregate, such as the kitchen. It won’t mean that you’re unsociable, just enjoying the social interactions on your terms and with less stress.

3. Focus on Faces 

The current requirement to wear masks in public has highlighted the importance of lip reading and non-verbal cues in the listening process. Aim to see as many faces as possible in good lighting and preferably away from hanging Christmas decorations. When listening is less challenging, it reduces your mental fatigue and makes socialising an absolute pleasure.

4. Partner Up 

If you’re attending an event on your own, see if you can find a friend, relative or colleague who can repeat or clarify things you may not have fully grasped. In this way, you can reduce the effort of intense one-to-one conversation yet feel fully included.

5. Turn Down the Volume 

There isn’t necessarily a link between volume and enjoyment. We’ve all witnessed conversations getting louder as they compete with the TV or music. In the end, we’re all shouting, and the quality of communication is poorer. Don’t be afraid to ask your host to take it down a notch or two. In that way, everyone hears more!

6. Communicate Your Needs 

Why not ask for help? If your party host has invited you, they’ll want you to have an enjoyable and entertaining evening. So, why not let them know your wishes for a relaxing evening? It will help them to know that you’re having a great time.

7. Host Your Own Christmas Party

Is there a better way to control your hearing environment than by hosting your own Christmas celebration? You can manage all the variables without compromising your listening pleasure or the enjoyment of your guests.

Whatever your plans this festive season, we hope you have a good one! Use these tips to help you enjoy your Christmas and manage your hearing loss.