Survive That Office Holiday Party Despite Your Hearing Loss

Group of coworkers at office holiday party despite hearing loss

You’re assaulted by noise as soon as you arrive at the yearly company holiday party. You can feel the pumping music, the hum of shouted conversations, and the clattering of glasses.

It makes you miserable.

In such a loud environment, you can’t hear anything. You can’t follow conversations, you can’t hear the punch line of jokes, and you’re totally disoriented. How can this be enjoyable for anyone? But then you look around and see that you’re the only one that seems to be having difficulty.

This likely sounds familiar for people who are dealing with hearing loss. Distinct stressors can be presented at a holiday office party and for a person who is coping with hearing loss, that can make it a lonely, dark event. But don’t worry! You can make it through the next holiday party without a problem with this little survival guide and maybe you will even enjoy yourself.

Why holiday parties can be stressful

Holiday parties can be a unique blend of fun and stress, (if you’re introverted this is particularly true) even if your hearing is healthy. If you struggle to hear when there is a lot of background noise, holiday parties come with unique stressors.

Most notable is the noise. To put it into perspective: a holiday party is your team’s chance to let loose a bit. In an environment like this, people have the tendency to talk at higher volumes and frequently at the same time. Could alcohol be a component here? Yes, yes it can. But even dry office parties can be a little on the unruly side.

Some interference is created by this, especially for individuals who have hearing loss. Here are some reasons for this:

  • Office parties include dozens of people all talking simultaneously. It’s difficult to isolate one voice from many when you’re dealing with hearing loss.
  • Talking, music, clinking dishes, laughing, all in the background. Your brain doesn’t always get enough information to isolate voices.
  • Indoor gatherings tend to magnify the noise of crowds, meaning an indoor office party is even tougher on your ears when you are dealing with hearing loss.

This means that picking up and following conversations will be challenging for people who have hearing loss. This may not sound like a big deal at first.

So… What is the big deal?

The big deal is the professional and networking aspect of things. Although office holiday parties are theoretically social events, they’re also professional events. It’s normally highly encouraged to go to these events so we’ll probably be there. This means a couple of things:

  • You can network: It’s not uncommon for individuals to network with co-workers from their own and other departments at these holiday events. Work will be discussed, even though it’s a social event it’s also a networking occasion. You can use this event to make new connections. But when you have hearing loss the noise can be overpowering and it can become challenging to talk with anyone.
  • You can feel isolated: Who wants to be that person who’s constantly asking people to repeat themselves? Isolation and hearing loss frequently go hand and hand for this reason. Asking family and friends to repeat themselves is one thing but co-workers are a different story. They may mistake your hearing loss for incompetence. And that can damage your work reputation. So, instead, you might simply avoid interactions. No one likes feeling left out.

This can be even more challenging because you may not even realize you have hearing loss. Typically, one of the first indications of hearing loss is the inability to hear in crowded settings (such as office parties or crowded restaurants).

As a result, you might be surprised that you’re having difficulty following the conversation. And when you observe you’re the only one, you might be even more surprised.

Causes of hearing loss

So what causes this? How does hearing loss happen? Age and, or noise damage are the most common causes. Basically, as you get older, your ears most likely experience repeated injury as a consequence of loud noises. The fragile hairs in your ear that detect vibrations (called stereocilia) become compromised.

That injury is permanent. And your hearing will keep getting worse the more stereocilia that are damaged. Your best bet will be to safeguard your hearing while you still have it because this kind of hearing loss is normally permanent.

Knowing all that, there are ways you can make your holiday office party a little less uncomfortable!

Tips to make your office party more pleasant

You’d rather not miss out on the fun and opportunities that are part of that office holiday party. So, you’re thinking: how can I hear better in a noisy environment? Well, here are some tips to make your office party go a little smoother:

  • Have conversations in quieter spots: Possibly try sitting on a couch or around a corner. In some cases, stationary objects can block a lot of sound and offer you a slightly quiet(er) pocket, and you’ll be able to hear more clearly during loud ambient noise.
  • Take listening breaks: Take a 15 minute quiet break every hour. This will help prevent you from getting completely exhausted after having to listen really hard.
  • Try to read lips: You will improve the more you practice. And it won’t ever be perfect. But some gaps can be filled in using this technique.
  • Look at faces: Try to spend time with individuals who have very expressive faces and hand gestures when they speak. The more context clues you can pick up, the more you can fill in any gaps.
  • Avoid drinking too many cocktails: If your thinking starts to get a little blurry, it’s likely you’ll be unable to communicate successfully. The whole thing will be a lot easier if you take it easy on the drinking.

Of course, the best possible option is also one of the easiest.: get fitted for a pair of hearing aids. Hearing aids can be subtle and customized to your particular hearing needs. Even if you go with larger hearing aids it will still be better than asking people to repeat what they said.

Before the party, get your hearing tested

That’s why, if you can, it’s a smart idea to have your hearing checked before the office holiday party. You might not have been to a party since before COVID and you don’t want hearing loss to sneak up and surprise you.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

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