When dealing with hearing loss, patients may discover that they are stressed or anxious more often. Social interactions and even basic conversations can lead to stress and anxiety. Even though anxiety may seem overwhelming, there are ways to cope with and manage stress. By using relaxation techniques, you can help yourself feel calm, cool, and collected rather than stressed out.

How Can Relaxation Help Hearing Loss Anxiety?

Relaxation techniques have a number of great health benefits besides simply helping you feel more at peace. Some of the many health benefits that you may receive from relaxation techniques include:

• Slowed heart rate and breathing rate
• Improved digestion
• Increased blood flow
• Improved sleep and mood
• Increased confidence
• Lowered blood pressure

Now that you can see the many health benefits of relaxation, we will look specifically at three ways you can put this into action.

Tip 1: Enjoy Quiet Activities

If the source of your anxiety is your hearing loss, why not consider doing something that doesn’t require you to hear? All sorts of relaxing activities can allow you to focus on something besides your stress. Be calm with your own thoughts, or quietly enjoy the company of your friends or family.

Some activities that are (mostly) silent that you may enjoy doing to relieve stress include:

• A walk or hike to a scenic location
• Painting, drawing, sculpting, or pottery
• Knitting, crocheting, or embroidery
• Read a book or magazine
• Cooking or baking a new recipe
• Play a game or do a crossword puzzle

Tip 2: Try Grounding Exercises

While your hearing might be frustrating you, try turning to your other senses to help you cope with anxiety. Grounding exercises are a cognitive tool to help you let go of the stress you are feeling and refocus your mind on what's around you.

When you can feel your anxiety level rising, try tuning in to what your stronger senses are experiencing.

• What are four things you can see in the room around you?
• What are three textures you can feel right now?
• What are two smells you can identify?
• What is one thing you can taste?

If you can't find anything physically around you, focus on smells, feelings, or tastes you can remember—like grandma's chocolate chip cookies.

Tip 3: Give Yourself A Break

If you start to feel frustrated, stressed, or anxious from the conversations around you, give yourself a break. Try practicing a phrase like this ahead of time, so you know what to say to excuse yourself:

"I'm feeling anxious right now, and I need to step away for a moment." You can collect yourself, calm down, and return to the conversation in a positive headspace.

Experiencing anxiety and stress because of hearing loss is only natural. Keeping a positive mindset will make you less overwhelmed. Yes, holding a conversation is more difficult when you have hearing loss, but staying light and positive can help the whole experience feel a lot less stressful.

For more tips on relaxation and your hearing – get in touch with Les and the team CLICK HERE