Listen to music and more in moderation to protect your ears and avoid listening fatigue!
Have you been glued to your phone, computer, or tablet recently? Even if your eyes are not on it, your ears might be connected to it. If you are listening to music, podcasts, shows, or audiobooks constantly, you might find it hard to have a moment of silence. Silence is beneficial in multiple ways, including for your hearing health. Constant noise can cause hearing loss as well as listening fatigue. Here are some helpful tips to prevent listening fatigue and protect your ears.
What Is Listening Fatigue?
Listening fatigue is a condition of exhaustion when your brain is overworked trying to hear and interpret sound. If you don’t have hearing loss, it could happen when you have listened to people speaking for many hours straight. If you do have hearing loss, you might experience the same thing; your brain is trying hard to interpret speech, and at some point, it gets too tired to do it well anymore, at least temporarily.
Tips to Prevent Listening Fatigue
Take Breaks When Using Headphones or Earbuds
Sometimes, sound can help you focus. Even people talking in the background can help stimulate your brain and help you get your work done or let you multi-task when doing chores or exercising. Even so, it is safer to take a short periodic break, such as every half hour or hour. The break can be as short as five or ten minutes; this break could be an opportunity to get up and get a drink or stop and rest.
Take a Lunch Break and a Walk
Similarly, taking a more purposeful break will help break you away from the noise. Go get some lunch or take a walk by yourself. If you run outdoors, it might be a great way to disconnect and enjoy the sights and sounds around you.
Keep the Volume Low
When you do use your headphones or earbuds, keep the volume as low as possible. The volume should be high enough that you can hear the details. If it is not low enough, check all possible settings, referring to your user manual.
Use Noise-Cancelling Headphones
If you are using sound to focus, then noise-cancelling headphones might be another option to try. It will help eliminate distractions without threatening your hearing health.
Have a Daily Quiet Time
Set aside a portion of your day for a time of quiet. You might use this time to journal, look out the window, read, or exercise. It is a discipline, but it is one worth having.
Trust the Experts at Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions
Need help with your hearing? Clarity Hearing can help. Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions is an independently owned and operated clinic that focuses on quality of care and personalized, friendly service to the surrounding areas of Ellicott City, Catonsville, Columbia. Our Doctors of Audiology are highly trained with advanced degrees and take the time to provide the personalized care and attention that you need and deserve. We provide advanced hearing aid options that are personally calibrated with cutting-edge digital technology to fit your hearing loss, your unique ear anatomy, and your individual listening needs.
You can call us today to schedule a FREE Hearing Protection Consultation at 410-698-6594! For more blog posts, news, and updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.