You get to your company’s yearly holiday party and you’re instantly assaulted by noise. 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.
You can’t hear anything in this loud environment. The punch lines of jokes are missed, you can’t hear conversations and it’s all really disorienting. How can anybody be having fun at this thing? But as the evening goes on, you see that you’re the only one having trouble.
For individuals who suffer from hearing loss, this most likely sounds familiar. The office holiday party can introduce some unique stressors and consequently, what should be a fun affair is nothing more than a dour, solitary event. But have no fear! You can make it through the next holiday party without difficulty with this little survival guide and perhaps you will even have a good time.
Holiday parties can be stressful, here’s why
Holiday parties can be a unique combination of fun and stress, (if you’re introverted this is especially true) even if your hearing is healthy. For people 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. Think about it like this: a holiday party is your team’s chance to let loose a little bit. This means they tend to be fairly noisy affairs, with everyone talking over each other all at once. Alcohol can certainly play a part. But even dry office parties can be a little on the boisterous side.
Some interference is generated by this, particularly for people who have hearing loss. Here are some reasons for this:
- Office parties feature lots of people all talking simultaneously. One of the side effects of hearing loss is that it’s very hard to identify one voice among overlapping discussions.
- Plenty of background noise, laughing, clanking dishes, music, and other noises. Your brain can’t always get enough information to pick out voices.
- Indoor gatherings tend to boost the noise of crowds, meaning an indoor office party is even tougher on your ears when you are dealing with hearing loss.
This means anybody with hearing loss will have trouble picking up and following conversations. This might not sound like a very big deal at first.
So… What is the big deal?
The professional and networking side of things is where the big deal is. Office holiday parties, even though they are supposed to be social gatherings, a lot of networking occurs and connections are made. It’s usually highly encouraged to attend these events so we’ll probably be there. Here are a couple of things to consider:
- You can network: It isn’t unusual for people to network with co-workers from their own and other departments at these holiday parties. Work will be discussed, even though it’s a social event it’s also a networking occasion. You can use this event to forge new connections. But when you’re dealing with hearing loss the noise can be overwhelming and it can become challenging to talk with anyone.
- You can feel isolated: Most people are reluctant to be the one that says “what?” all the time. 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. Your reputation may be damaged. So, instead, you might simply avoid interactions. You’ll feel left out and left behind, and that’s not a fun feeling for anybody!
You might not even know that you have hearing loss, which will make this an even bigger problem. Typically, one of the first indications of hearing loss is the inability to hear in crowded settings (like office parties or crowded restaurants).
As a result, you may be alarmed that you’re having a hard time following the conversation. And when you notice you’re the only one, you might be even more surprised.
Causes of hearing loss
So what causes this? How do you develop hearing loss? Most commonly, it’s caused by age or noise damage (or age and noise damage). Your ears will usually take repeated injury from loud noise as you age. The fragile hairs in your ear that sense vibrations (called stereocilia) become damaged.
These little hairs never heal and can’t be healed. And the more stereocilia that die, the worse your hearing will be. In most instances, hearing loss like this is irreversible (so you’re better off protecting your hearing before the injury occurs).
With this knowledge, 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, when you’re in a noisy setting, how can you improve your ability to hear? Well, here are some tips to make your office party go a little smoother:
- Look at faces: And possibly even spend some time hanging around individuals who have really expressive faces or hand gestures. You will be capable of filling in comprehension gaps using these contextual clues.
- Keep the alcohol drinking to a minimum: Communication will be less effective as your thinking gets blurry. In other words, avoid the alcohol. It’ll make the whole process a lot smoother.
- Find a quieter place to have those conversations: Try sitting off to the side or around a corner. In some cases, stationary objects can neutralize a lot of noise and provide you with a slightly quiet(er) pocket, and you’ll be able to hear more clearly during loud background noise.
- Take listening breaks: Every hour, take a 15 minute quiet break. This will help prevent you from getting completely exhausted after trying to listen really hard.
- Try to read lips: This can take some practice (and good lighting). And you will probably never perfect this. But some gaps can be filled in using this technique.
Of course, there’s an even more ideal solution: get fitted for a set of hearing aids. These hearing aids can be personalized to your hearing needs, and they can also be subtle. Even if you opt for larger hearing aids it will still be better than asking people to repeat what they said.
Before the party, get your hearing checked
If possible, get a hearing test before you go to the party. Because of COVID, this may be your first holiday party in a few years, and you don’t want to be surprised by your hearing issues!