It seems like there’s always something happening, whether it is plates being placed on the table, kids in the hallway laughing, many conversations happening at once, or someone calling you by name from across the room. At that point, your body tightens up. You may still be smiling, nodding, and pretending to focus, but on the inside, you are quietly counting down the minutes until you can get out for some fresh air.
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Sometimes, the event itself isn’t the source of your anxiety. In fact, one possible underlying reason may actually be the substantial mental effort involved in simply processing communication.
Too Much Mental Labor Through Noise
You’ll rarely encounter a family gathering where there isn’t any ambient background noise. Music plays in the background; chairs scrape on the floors; people pass dishes back and forth; and voices overlap coming from all directions. At the same time, happy noises can quickly become overwhelming if your brain and ears have to process everything at once.
You may find yourself leaning forward to hear better, asking other people to repeat themselves, or attempting to catch the last part of a story. Doing so may seem unusual to you – especially because you wouldn’t want to ruin the “good vibe” of everybody else. Eventually, though, continually expending much more than normal amounts of mental energy just to listen may start to produce feelings of exhaustion rather than social engagement.
This is not related to being antisocial. This is about sensory overload. If listening requires too much mental labor, even what would normally appear welcoming environments (e.g., family) can eventually feel overcrowded.
Why You Might Retain Social Distance Without Recognizing It
Over time, you may realize that you are selecting the less populated area of the dining room table to sit. You may spend most of your time preparing meals in the kitchen. You may gravitate towards individualized interactions since these appear to require less energy.
While each decision makes sense as a means of conserving your physical and mental energy, they can also lead you to experience an unusual disconnection from the individuals whom you originally came to visit.
Because hearing loss tends to occur gradually, you may initially attribute your social fatigue (and potential disengagement) to your increasing tiredness, distraction, or decreasing patience; not your hearing loss.
How A Little Support Makes The Holiday Season Easier
Getting an audiological assessment makes sense; especially if it seems like those crowded places you used to find so easy to navigate are getting increasingly overwhelming lately. With today’s advanced technology, there are a number of choices when it comes to hearing aids; for example, bluetooth hearing aids offer assistive support for everyday listening as well as the look and fit of the product, offering a more discreet approach than some people may be aware of.
In addition to helping to reduce your overall stress levels by making social events easier to manage, you could sit farther away from speakers at parties, take a few short breaks in conversation, or discuss important issues in less noisy sections of your home.
It Does Not Have To Be Exhausting to Enjoy Family Time
Your social experiences don’t have to drain you of energy. Once you recognize why social events are creating stress for you, you can take more loving actions toward yourself.
You’re not being difficult. You may simply need a bit more assistance, a slightly lower level of stimulation, and a better way for you to participate in conversations again.
