You arrive at your company’s annual holiday party and you’re instantly bombarded by noise. The din of shouted conversations, the clanging of glasses, and the throbbing 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 anything. You can’t follow conversations, you can’t hear the punch line of any joke, and you’re totally disoriented. How can this be fun for anyone? But then you look around and notice that you’re the only person that seems to be having difficulty.
This probably sounds familiar for people who suffer from hearing loss. The office holiday party can present some unique stressors and as a result, what should be a fun affair is nothing more than a dour, solitary event. But don’t worry! This little survival guide can help you get through your next holiday party unscathed (and perhaps even have some fun while you’re at it).
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 individuals with hearing loss or if you struggle to hear with loud background noise, holiday parties provide some unique stressors.
The noise itself is the most prevalent. Think about it in this way: a holiday party is your team’s chance to let loose a little. In a setting like this, people have the tendency to talk at higher volumes and usually all at once. Alcohol can definitely play a part. But it can also be really loud at dry office parties.
Some interference is produced by this, particularly for individuals who have hearing loss. Here are some reasons for this:
- There are so many people talking simultaneously. It’s difficult to isolate one voice from many when you’re dealing with hearing loss.
- Lots of background noise, laughing, clanking dishes, music, and so on. Your brain can’t always get enough information to pick out voices.
- Indoor events tend to boost the noise of crowds, meaning an indoor office party is even tougher on your ears when you have hearing loss.
This means that picking up and following conversations will be challenging for individuals who have hearing loss. At first look, that might sound like a small thing.
So… What is the big deal?
The professional and networking side of things is where the big deal is. Although office holiday parties are theoretically social events, they’re also professional events. It’s usually highly encouraged to attend these events so we’ll probably be there. This means a couple of things:
- You can network: Holiday parties are the perfect opportunity to network with employees from other departments or even catch up with co-workers in your own section. People will still talk shop, even though it’s a social event it’s also a networking occasion. This can be a good occasion to forge connections. But it’s much harder when you’re dealing with hearing loss and can’t understand what’s going on because of the overwhelming noise.
- You can feel isolated: Most individuals are reluctant to be the one that says “what?” constantly. This is one reason why hearing loss and solitude often go hand-in-hand. Asking friends and family to repeat themselves is one thing but colleagues are a different story. They might mistake your hearing loss for incompetence. And that can harm your work reputation. So, instead, you might simply avoid interactions. You’ll feel left out and left behind, and that’s not a great feeling for anybody!
This can be even more challenging because you may not even know you have hearing loss. Usually, one of the first indications of hearing loss is the inability to hear in crowded settings (such as office parties or crowded restaurants).
You may be caught by surprise when you begin to have difficulty following conversations. And when you notice you’re the only one, you may be even more surprised.
Causes of hearing loss
So how does this happen? How does hearing loss happen? Age and, or noise damage are the most common causes. Basically, as you age, your ears most likely experience repeated damage as a consequence of loud noises. The delicate hairs in your ear that sense vibrations (called stereocilia) become compromised.
These little hairs never heal and can’t be repaired. And the more stereocilia that kick the bucket, the worse your hearing will be. In most circumstances, this type of hearing loss is permanent (so you’re better off safeguarding your hearing before the injury happens).
Armed with this knowledge, you can make that holiday party a bit more pleasant in a few ways.
Tips to make your office party more enjoyable
Your office party presents some significant opportunities (and fun!), so you’d rather not skip out. So, you’re thinking: how can I improve my hearing in a noisy setting? Well, here are a few tips to make your office party go a little better:
- Look at faces: And maybe even spend some time hanging around people who have really expressive faces or hand gestures. The more context clues you can pick up, the more you can fill in any gaps.
- Find a quieter place to talk with people: Try sitting off to the side or around a corner. Sometimes, stationary objects can neutralize a lot of sound and give you a slightly quiet(er) pocket, and you’ll be able to hear more clearly during loud ambient noise.
- Try to read lips: You will get better at this the more you practice. And you will most likely never perfect this. But some gaps can be filled in using this technique.
- Avoid drinking too many adult beverages: If your thinking starts to get a little blurry, it’s likely you’ll be unable to communicate effectively. Simply put, avoid the alcohol. It’ll make the whole process a lot easier.
- Take listening breaks: Every hour, take a 15 minute quiet break. This will help stop you from getting totally exhausted after having to listen really hard.
Naturally, the best possible solution is also one of the easiest.: get yourself a pair of hearing aids. These hearing aids can be customized to your hearing needs, and they can also be discrete. Even if you pick larger hearing aids it will still be better than asking people to repeat what they said.
Get your hearing checked before the party
That’s why, if possible, it’s a smart 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 catch you off guard.