You’re bombarded by noise as soon as you arrive at the annual company holiday party. The din of shouted conversations, the clanging of glasses, and the pulsating beat of music are all mixing in your ears.
You’re not enjoying it at all.
In such a loud environment, you can’t hear a thing. The punch lines of jokes are getting lost, you can’t hear conversations and it’s all extremely disorienting. How can anybody be enjoying this thing? But as the evening goes on, you see that you’re the only one having trouble.
This most likely sounds familiar for people who suffer from hearing loss. Distinct stressors can be presented at a holiday office party and for someone with hearing loss, that can make it a lonely, dark event. But have no fear! This little survival guide can help you make it through your next holiday party unscathed (and perhaps even have some fun at the same time).
Holiday parties can be stressful, here’s why
Holiday parties can be a unique mix of fun and stress, (if you’re introverted this is particularly true) even if your hearing is healthy. For individuals who have hearing loss or if you struggle to hear with loud background noise, holiday parties provide some unique stressors.
Most notable is the noise. To put it into perspective: Holiday parties are your chance to loosen your tie and cut loose. In an environment like this, individuals have the tendency to talk at louder volumes and often at the same time. Alcohol can certainly play a part. But even dry office parties can be a little on the unruly side.
Some interference is created by this, especially for people with hearing loss. That’s because:
- Office parties include tons of people all talking over each other. It’s not easy to pick out one voice from many when you’re dealing with hearing loss.
- Plenty of background noise, laughing, clinking dishes, music, and other noises. Your brain can’t always get enough information to pick out voices.
- When you have hearing loss, indoor parties such as office parties can make it even more difficult to hear because sound tends to become amplified.
This means that hearing and following conversations will be challenging for individuals who have hearing loss. This might not sound like a big deal at first.
So… What is the big deal?
The big deal is in the networking and professional side of things. Office holiday parties, though they are supposed to be social gatherings, a lot of networking occurs and connections are made. At any rate, attendance is usually encouraged, so here we are. This means a couple of things:
- You can network: It’s not unusual for individuals to network with colleagues from their own and other departments at these holiday events. It’s a social event, but people will still talk shop, so it’s also a networking event. You can use this event to forge new connections. But when you have hearing loss the noise can be overpowering and it can be hard to talk with anyone.
- You can feel isolated: Who wants to be that person who’s constantly asking people to repeat what they said? This is one reason why hearing loss and isolation often go hand-in-hand. Asking friends and family 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 may simply avoid interactions. No one likes feeling left out.
This can be even more challenging because you might not even realize you have hearing loss. The inability to hear well in noisy settings (such as restaurants or office parties) is usually one of those first signs of hearing loss.
As a result, you may be alarmed that you’re having a difficult time following the conversation. And you might be even more surprised that you’re the only one.
Hearing loss causes
So what is the cause of this? How does hearing loss develop? Most commonly, it’s due to age or noise damage (or age and noise damage). Basically, as you age, your ears likely experience repeated damage due to loud noises. The delicate hairs in your ear that detect vibrations (called stereocilia) become compromised.
These tiny hairs never heal and can’t be healed. 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 typically permanent.
Armed with this knowledge, you can make that holiday party a little more comfortable in a few ways.
How to enjoy this year’s office party
Your office party offers some considerable opportunities (and fun!), so you’d rather not skip out. So, when you’re in a loud environment, how can you hear better? Well, here are some tips to make your office party go a little smoother:
- Keep the alcohol drinking to a minimum: If your thinking starts to get a little fuzzy, it’s a good bet you’ll be unable to communicate successfully. In other words, avoid the alcohol. It’ll make the whole process much easier.
- Look at faces: And possibly even spend some time hanging around individuals who have very expressive faces or hand gestures. You will be able to fill in comprehension gaps using these contextual signals.
- Try to read lips: You will improve the more you practice. And it will never be perfect. But some gaps can be filled in using this technique.
- Take listening breaks: Every hour, give yourself a 15 minute quiet break. This will help stop you from becoming completely exhausted after trying to listen really hard.
- Find a quieter place to talk with people: Possibly try sitting on a couch or around a corner. Sometimes, stationary objects can block a lot of sound and give you a slightly quiet(er) pocket, and you’ll be able to hear more clearly during loud background noise.
Naturally, the best possible option is also one of the easiest.: get yourself a pair of hearing aids. These hearing aids can be personalized to your hearing needs, and they can also be discrete. Even if your hearing aids aren’t small, you’d rather people see your hearing aids than your hearing loss.
Get your hearing tested before the party
That’s why, if you can, it’s a good idea to get your hearing tested 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.