Photo credit Brett Sayles, Pexels. Black and white photo of a bald man with beard looking away from the camera. He is wearing black glasses and a cochlear implant. You’ve had a feeling you might need hearing aids for a while, perhaps others have pointed this out to you, or maybe you’ve been struggling to hear more than usual. It’s obvious that hearing aids will help with your hearing, but they can also help improve your wellbeing. How hearing loss effects wellbeing Having hearing loss is a bigger issue than simply not being able to hear everything that you used to. Not being able to get invol ..read more

Photo credit Andrea Gulotta - Pexels. Woman with dark hair in brightly coloured red and yellow dress with a red headscarf. She has one hand on a wooden post and the other behind her ear, as if listening for something, whilst looking into the distance. “Hi, I have hearing loss” I get many different reactions when I tell people that I’m deaf. Most are surprised “but you speak so well” or “I never would have known” is a common response, but spoken like its a complement. A pat on the head. Well done you. It  can feel like hearing loss is a good thing to be able to hide. Hearing aids are gett ..read more

Photo credit -gratisography Man in blue top with an anxious concerned expression on his face. He was shaking his head sadly, his face sincere and full of concern. “Really, you can’t” Was I about to attempt to swim across an ocean? Climb K2? No. I was on a webinar being upsold some training. I didn’t buy it. But those words stuck. Each time I came up against a wall or problem I heard them, imploring me to quit whilst I was ahead, full of empathy and concern about my imminent failure. “You can’t do this." What is a negative inner voice? A simple comment from someone, when we are off guard or fe ..read more

Photo credit -Jacob Sierra, Pexels. Man with dark hair wearing sunglassess and headphones with coloured stars on his cheek. He has one had behind his ear as if trying to listen to something. If you’ve just been diagnosed with hearing loss it’s a lot to take in. Sometimes the explanations and terminology can be confusing. So here’s a guide to the different types of hearing loss, how to understand your audiogram, and what support is available. How the ear works When we hear something, sound waves are captured by the outer ear and travel along the ear canal where they cause the ear drum to vibra ..read more

Photo credit pexels-karolina grabowsk Woman with dark hair and glasses wearing a green shirt and cream jacket. She is sitting at a desk with one hand on her face. There are three people standing round her with their faces out of shot. They are holding their hands out and pointing as if arguing. Why do you feel stressed out? We all have a natural survival instinct, it’s called a ‘fight or flight’ response. A mixture of hormones is released which allows us to react quickly to dangerous situations. Modern life can produce stressful situations where this ‘fight or flight’ response is triggered ev ..read more

Eight cream coloured clock faces, all with different times, lying on brown fabric. Practising mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your general wellbeing. Mindfulness can help you to be present in the here and now instead of focusing on past worries or future events which may or may not happen. There are plenty of courses and books on mindfulness, but you will find the greatest benefit by working it into your everyday routine. However, if you’re rushing from one thing to another each day with no time for yourself, meditation or mindfulness can feel like another ..read more

There are blurred images of leaves in the foreground of the photo. Past the foliage is a blonde woman wearing red lipstick and gold earrings, she is looking thoughtful. Don’t have time for mindfulness? It’s possible to bring mindfulness into your daily life without making big changes.  You can be mindful by noticing your breathing and body sensations at different times during the day. When life offers you a natural pause – such as waiting for a meeting, or in a queue, bring your attention to your breathing.  Is it deep or shallow?  Where is the sensation strongest?  You co ..read more

Woman with dark hair wearing a green top and jeans. She is sitting with her legs crossed on a chair with her hands over her ears. What Is Tinnitus? Often described as a ringing or buzzing noise, it can also sound like a lawnmower under your pillow when you're trying to sleep at night. It can change in frequency and volume, sometimes it's a mild irritation that you can distract yourself from by having the radio or tv on in the background, other times it's loud enough to drown out the conversation around you. What Causes Tinnitus? There are many possible causes, including hearing loss, allergie ..read more

Photo credit, Alina Levkovich, Pexels. Blonde woman in orange dress and black shoes lying face down on orange sofa. My worst experience of hearing fatigue was when I started my teacher training for mindfulness. Due to the pandemic, the training had been moved online. The course was fantastic, but after spending all day on a Zoom call, I’d retreat to bed, tired and stressed out, my head was throbbing and I was barely able to hold a conversation. After a day’s rest I’d be back to normal, but I knew that I’d never finish the course if I didn’t find a better way to cope with it. What is listening ..read more

We’ve all heard that mental health is important. But why do we need it? How can we improve it? What is it anyway? Mental health is more than not having a mental illness. It keeps us physically healthy. It maintains good relationships, and helps us focus on what’s really important. How is health affected by wellbeing? We’re all familiar with the relationship between stress and  health problems like tension headaches and IBS. According to a statement by the American Heart Association discussed in Medscape, stress, depression, anger and anxiety can also cause high blood pressure or irregular ..read more