The Emotional Response to Hearing Loss
Before I discuss products and practices that will assist you in coming to terms with your hearing loss, it is important to address how hearing loss may affect your relationships with others. Hearing loss, whether it is your own, or your partner’s or friend’s can stress your relationships and make the situation so much worse than it needs to be.
I have provided a link below to some excellent resources that discuss personal relationships and hearing loss. I think you’ll find that once you have the support of others around you , the next steps are easier to navigate.
There are many products on the market that will be able to help you - telephone and television amplifiers, hearing aids, etc. These will be discussed in more depth on other pages of this site. On this page, I want to focus on the simple things -strategies- you can do to improve your emotional attitude towards a hearing loss. These strategies cost nothing and only require that you make minor adjustments in your daily life.
And last, remember that the most important thing that you can do to help yourself is to RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH your hearing deficit. Learn new strategies for dealing with your condition, and learn what products are available to make your life a bit easier.
Click on the following links to go directly to these simple strategies:
PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Physical exercise is a wonderful stress reducer. Daily exercise makes sense. It will help to improve your mind as well as your body. Think about doing your exercise in the morning. This way you are charging up your metabolism right from the start of the day.
Morning exercise also helps you to handle the stress and problems that take place throughout the day. It will act as a daily reminder that you have to start out each day with a positive approach to what will take place. Even if you are working, try to get up earlier to do your exercise.
Walking is an excellent choice for most of us. You do not need any special equipment, and you can do it with friends or by yourself. It is highly aerobic, and you can vary where you walk so that you will not get bored.
The pace and intensity of your walks can also vary based on your level of fitness. Using good posture, walking can be faster as time goes on. Keep your head up, swing your arms, and take deep breaths as you walk. You will be adding oxygen to your body, and stress relief to your mind. Walking will help your heart, your lungs, your flexibility, and most important your attitude. As you begin to enjoy the walk, your body and mind will relax. Suddenly you will notice scenery that you never saw. Pick a pretty area and begin to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds you. Mother nature has many wonders for us to enjoy. We need to take the time to notice.
Swimming is another excellent cardiovascular sport. If you have arthritis, swimming puts no stress on your joints. It can be done indoors or outdoors, and you can adjust the length of your swim as well as the pace. Do use protection for your swim. Buy earplugs and swim eyeglasses. After each swim shower. This will wash off the chlorine. Even after an ocean swim do not forget to shower.
Other fun sports include: tennis, golf, dancing, bicycling, and any activity that gets you moving. The body is meant to be used. Vary your sports so that you do not stress just one part of the body. It is healthy to try new sports so you have more choices. If one part of the body is sore, do an activity that is easier. The Greeks were not wrong when they said, “A sound mind in a sound body.“
Another great stress reducer is therapeutic massage. There is no doubt that massage is an antidote to stress. On the physical side massage helps with circulation. It reduces muscle tension, and it nourishes the skin. If you have strained a part of the body, massage can help to heal the area.
Massage feels so good, and it is also an emotional healer. There are different types of massages, and you should discuss with the massage therapist what will work best for you. Interview the therapist, and work with someone you can talk with easily. Massage can be done at home or in an office. Schedule your massage when you are not going to be rushed. In this way you will get the full benefit.
Meditation is a relaxation technique that operates in the realm of mind/body medicine. It is a way to gain relief from stress. By focusing the mind on peaceful thoughts, the body begins to relax. Buddhist monks have used this technique for years.
Today medical doctors are realizing that it makes sense. To learn meditation you can use audiotapes, videotapes, take classes and work with instructors. Regardless of the approach, the result will help you learn how to relax. You will feel better, and coping with stress will get easier.
Everyone enjoys a good laugh. It is healthy for you. With hearing problems you will not always understand what people are saying. Try not to get too concerned. If you make a mistake, laugh at yourself. Let the error go, and do not get bent out of shape. Most errors can be corrected. Many of the things that upset us really are not that important. Accept the fact that this will happen, and move on.
As you begin each day you have choices. It is much healthier to maintain a positive attitude. No one enjoys loss of any kind, but it happens. There is a saying, “Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone. “ How true this is. Forget you have problems, concentrate on what you can do, don’t worry about what you did not hear. If it is really important you can discover the facts at a different time. Most things are of minor importance. Indeed, sometimes it is a blessing not to hear certain information. If you are unaware of certain problems, you may be better off and worry less.
You are what you eat. Your body needs nutrition, and you have to make choices to stay health. Drink plenty of water. It is not fattening, and six to eight glasses each day will help with weight control and hydration. Eat a variety of foods and eat mostly fruits and vegetables. Try to cut out the sweets, and substitute healthy snacks like carrot sticks and celery. Add skim milk, yogurt, and low fat cheese, and this will help with calcium. Talk with a nutritionist about what you should be eating. When you eat the right kinds of food you will look better and feel better.
Keep your life simple. Life is easier that way. When things get too complicated, it is tough emotionally. Take naps, and do not try to do everything in one day. Allow enough time to relax and enjoy the ride. In the long run you will feel better, and you will accomplish more if you slow down and relax.
Learn to arrange your day based on what is most important. Sometimes you will have to make last minute changes. Be flexible and if you have to adjust your schedule, try not to get bent out of shape. Get help with your projects when you need to. Try to include others in your life, and call upon them as needed. People like to help, and it makes them feel good when they are needed. As long as your needs are within reason and in a time frame that works for others, you will be able to share and lighten your day. It is important that you show appreciation. People do like to know that their efforts are noticed. Saying thank you does make good sense.
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