Make this holiday season more hearing-loss-friendly with practical tips to reduce stress, prevent listening fatigue, and stay connected with family and friends.
Key Takeaways
🎄 Plan ahead to set yourself up for communication success.
🕯️ Create spaces that support communication—good lighting, low noise, and smart tech.
💬 Speak up about your needs and don’t fake understanding.
☕ Take breaks and practice self-care to minimize listening fatigue.
💖 Focus on connection and gratitude, not perfection.
Our Favorite Hearing Hacks for the Holidays
The holidays are a time for celebration, reflection, and connection—but for people with hearing loss, they can also bring extra stress. Large gatherings, background noise, and overlapping conversations can make even the most joyful occasions exhausting.
Still, with a little planning and the right strategies, we can enjoy the holidays more fully. Here are my favorite Hearing Hacks to help make the season a little brighter, calmer, and more hearing-loss-friendly. Please share yours in the comments.
1. Plan ahead
Preparation is key in any listening situation.
- Reach out early. Contact the host before an event to share your communication needs—such as a quieter seating location or a well-lit area for lipreading.
- Leverage your tools. Bring extra hearing aid batteries, chargers, and assistive devices like a remote microphone or speech-to-text app.
- Host yourself. When possible, consider hosting. You’ll have more control over noise levels, lighting, and seating arrangements.
2. Create a hearing-friendly space
Small changes can make a big difference in how well you communicate.
- Keep noise down, lights up. Lower background music during dinner and make sure the space is well-lit to aid speechreading.
- Choose your seat wisely. Sitting in the center of the table helps you catch more of the conversation. Try to keep your back to a wall to block background noise.
- Use your tech tools. Wear your hearing aids or implants, and pair them with assistive listening devices or apps when needed.
3. Advocate for your needs
Let others know about your hearing loss and how they can help create better communication.
- Self-identify. Let people know you have hearing loss and share what helps—like facing you when they speak or talking one at a time.
- Use subtle cues. A hand behind your ear can remind someone to speak up without stopping the flow of conversation.
- Don’t fake it. Nodding along when you haven’t understood can lead to confusion. It’s okay to ask someone to repeat or rephrase.
4. Take breaks and practice self-care
The holidays can be fun—but they can also be tiring.
- Rest your ears and your brain. Step away for a few minutes to recharge during parties. Between events, try mindful breathing, meditation, or simply sitting quietly to build stamina.
- Keep expectations realistic. You probably won’t hear everything, and that’s okay. Focus on connecting with the people nearby.
- Be kind to yourself. Listening fatigue is real. Give yourself permission to rest and recharge.
5. Focus on what matters most
Even when hearing is hard, the holidays are still about connection and gratitude. Focus on what you can appreciate—the laughter, the smiles, and the warmth of being together. We may not catch every word, but we can still share the joy.
What Are Your Favorite Holiday Hearing Hacks?
What are your go-to strategies for enjoying the holidays with hearing loss? Please share them in the comments! Your tips could make the difference for someone else.
Pro Tip: For more tips on thriving with hearing loss, read Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss. The book also makes a great holiday gift!
Readers, what are your favorite holiday hearing hacks?
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These are all great hacks, thanks, Shari!
My favorite hack is to toggle the programs on my aids.
I have a “speech-in-noise” program that helps me hear the person directly in front of me by filtering out some of the background noise. But then if someone else is speaking to me, I need to go back to my general program.
The Oticon Companion app makes this much easier, too. So I’d recommend you make sure you have your hearing aid manufacturer’s app, too.
Great tips! Thank you for sharing them!
I’ve been getting more comfortable self-identifying my hearing loss, and I’m often surprised how compassionate new people I meet put me at ease. I’ve also learned to turn down the volume of one aid and increase the volume of another aid to focus my listening to a specific area of room.
Self identification is key! Thank you for sharing your tips.