New Year…New Ears!

What are your goals for 2018?

It’s hard to believe that 2017 is almost over.  Do you make resolutions or set goals?  I’ll have to admit that many of my goals were left undone this year due to health challenges and then new opportunities that came across my path this fall.  

I have learned one important thing from these “derailments”.  If you don’t look after yourself, how can you care for others?  

Self Care and Hearing Healthcare

My most important goal for the coming year is to make my loved ones a greater priority.  For me, this means being a better listener, and taking more time to act on the things my family shares with me.  The key to this is making sure I am healthy enough to do so.  

The same principle works for each of us.  If you are not feeling well or not hearing well, you cannot devote the attention that good communication requires.  Active listening requires your full attention, your concern, and your emotional support.  

It’s ok to make yourself a priority.

Have you noticed when you get the safety talk on the airplane, they always teach you to put your oxygen mask on first, and then help others?  There is wisdom in that.  When you take care of yourself, you have more to give. 

Hearing loss creates an often unacknowledged drain on attention and memory as it causes you to put more resources towards decoding a message, rather than understanding it.  

Consider what the real cost of untreated hearing loss is on your life, and resolve to be a better listener.  Treating hearing loss may be as simple as aural rehabilitation, hearing amplification, or a combination of both.  Make yourself and your relationships a higher priority.  It’s a new year, a new beginning.  Take care of your hearing in 2018.