While hearing loss may not always be preventable, hearing issues that stem from subjecting yourself to loud noises can be. More often than not, once your hearing is damaged, it can’t be restored. Along with loud noises, medications and certain chemicals can hurt your ability to hear, as well as injuries sustained to the eardrums or inner ears. Nevertheless, your hearing health doesn’t have to get in the way of living your best life. If you’re feeling insecure due to sporting a hearing aid in order to have better hearing, you should know that there are ways to avoid that discomfort and improve your quality of life. If you’re interested in learning the first step to beating back insecurity, read on.
Protecting Your Ears
As we are growing up, we may not always think about the consequences of partaking in teenage activities such as loud concerts can do to our hearing health. But the best way to avoid noise-induced hearing loss is to stay away from any loud noises as much as you possibly can. If you are not sure about what constitutes a loud noise, the best rule of thumb is that if you have to raise your voice to speak to someone, you can’t make out what someone close by is saying, or if it hurts your ears, then it is probably too loud for your ears.
If you know you are headed to a noisy situation, try bringing earplugs so you can protect your eardrums. Nowadays, you can also download an app that tells you if the noise is too loud, which is something everyone should know every single day. Even listening to music through earphones can cause you issues in the long run. Some useful tips are to buy noise-canceling headphones instead of turning up the volume. You should never listen to your tunes at more than 60 percent of the maximum volume. Lastly, try not to wear earphones for more than an hour at a time. Your ears need rest just like the rest of your body. While it may be a bit annoying now to take a break from your tunes your hearing will thank you in the long run.
How to Become Confident
First and foremost, stop comparing yourself to anyone else. A study from Northwestern University showed that when you take the time to compare yourself to someone on social media, you can become obsessed, and it is not healthy for your own mental health. There is a direct link between how you feel about yourself and envy. One way to be thankful for what you do have is to start a gratitude journal and to write one positive thing in it every single day. Once you begin to realize how lucky you are, it is easy to recognize that there is a lot of positivity in your life. Look in the mirror and give yourself compliments, repeat affirmations to yourself over the course of a day, and don’t focus on weight loss or getting a flat stomach. There are a million body types, each with its own flaws, and the only person you need to try to be is yourself. Working on a healthy body image through self-compliments and affirmations is a great way to be more confident.
Why Confidence is Key
If you are suffering from hearing loss and would like to feel more comfortable with your body, there are numerous ways of perking yourself up. When you have high self-esteem, you are opening yourself up to multiple benefits that could take place at home, work, and with your interpersonal relationships. Even if you have a hearing impairment, it should not stop you from trying new things, since believing in yourself is half the battle towards feeling good. If you practice showing off your confidence, you will be able to perform at your best no matter what your goal. Living with a hearing impairment can often give patients an enhanced sense of resilience. Many patients are able to bounce back quicker from upsetting news and a setback.
