On arriving home after a 5-and-a-half-hour afternoon spent with a small group of friends in their garden, I threw my body onto the sofa. I was exhausted. It wasn’t the physical exhaustion you feel after a workout or a long walk, but a mental weariness. My head pounded. I needed some quiet time away from conversation and the demand to engage with well-matched responses.

When I speak to my clients about listening fatigue they usually let out a sigh of relief. For those with recent hearing loss, they have often been wondering why they are suddenly exhausted after a coffee with a friend or a meal in a restaurant. When they come to understand the concept of listening fatigue and realise it is a common experience for individuals with hearing loss, I see their shoulders relax, as their tension dissipates, and their focus shifts from “Why am I experiencing this?” to “What can I do about it?”

Whether you're navigating conversations in noisy environments or spending a lot of time in meetings, the strain of continuous listening can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. Understanding what listening fatigue is and learning how to manage it effectively can make a world of difference to your day-to-day life.

What Is Listening Fatigue?

Listening fatigue, also known as auditory fatigue, is the state of being mentally and emotionally drained due to the effort it takes to understand speech or sounds in challenging situations. It occurs when our brains become overwhelmed by continuous auditory input and is an associated impact of hearing loss.

For people with hearing loss, listening and processing information generally requires more cognitive energy (listening effort) compared to those with normal hearing. As a result, it is common to experience higher levels of fatigue, particularly related to listening. If you are reading this and you have hearing loss, you will know just how exhausting long periods of listening can be, especially in noisy environments.

Listening fatigue can have a knock-on effect. In a 2021 study titled “Can listening-related fatigue influence well-being?” researchers found that people with hearing loss may experience reduced quality of life, potentially stemming directly from increased listening-related fatigue. Additionally, the study suggested that hearing loss could indirectly impact well-being by affecting the types of daily activities a person engages in. For instance, someone with hearing loss might avoid social gatherings or noisy environments to prevent listening fatigue, which could impact their overall well-being.

There is hope, however, which comes in the form of hearing devices, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. These devices help improve communication and reduce listening-related fatigue, which can positively affect overall well-being and quality of life—but this is a whole other blog post!

What Are the Symptoms of Listening Fatigue?

Key signs you may be experiencing listening fatigue include the following:

Difficulty concentrating or maintaining focus during listening tasks/conversations
Feeling mentally drained or exhausted after listening for extended periods
Increased irritability or frustration during conversation
More reliance on lip-reading or visual signals to help understand what's being said
Physical symptoms such as headaches or tension in the neck and shoulders
Decreased ability to comprehend or retain information

Once you are able to recognise these symptoms, you are a step closer to effectively managing your listening fatigue.

7 Strategies for Managing Listening Fatigue

While listening fatigue can be challenging, there are things you can do to reduce its effects. Here are some practical strategies to help manage listening fatigue and promote well-being:

1. Optimise Hearing Technology

Hearing aids and implants can help reduce background noise and improve the clarity of speech, making it easier to hear in challenging listening environments, and reducing listening effort.

If you are a hearing aid or cochlear implant user, ensure your hearing devices are properly calibrated and fitted to maximise their effectiveness. Be sure to take care of your hearing devices, clean them regularly and visit your audiologist for adjustments when necessary. The better your hearing devices work for you, the less cognitive effort you will need to hear, easing listening fatigue.

If you are worried about your hearing and feel you may benefit from hearing aids, speak to an audiologst who can carry out a comprehensive hearing assessment and determine your best options.

2. Take Regular Listening Breaks

Give your ears and brain a rest by taking regular short breaks from activities involving extended periods of listening. Even just taking a walk outside for a few minutes can help your brain recover from the strain of continuous listening. You may also find that practising mindfulness or engaging in quiet activities can help prevent listening fatigue and restore mental energy.

If you work in challenging listening environments or have numerous or lengthy daily meetings, speak to your employer about the accommodations you need to be able to work at your best throughout the day. This could be as simple as having a quiet place to eat your lunch or having a 5-minute break at regular intervals.

In some countries, government programs offer workplace adjustments. For example, in the US, federal employees' rights are protected by Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, ensuring equal opportunities and accommodations. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title I prohibits discrimination in employment. The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) provides guidance for employees and employers. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 mandates reasonable adjustments for hearing-impaired individuals, supported by the Access to Work scheme for covering related expenses, enabling continued employment. For more information on Access to Work, visit the RNID’s website.

3. Control Your Environment

Whenever possible, select quiet or well-lit environments for conversations to help minimise auditory distractions. When dining out, choose a restaurant with soft furnishings, which can help absorb some of the background noise, and can also help reduce the effort needed to understand conversation. You may also find it helpful to sit at a corner table, booth, or outdoors where there is less ambient noise.

Be aware that windows can cause glare or shadows, making it harder to see facial expressions or lip movements that can help in understanding speech. If the person you are speaking to is sitting in front of a window, kindly request they change position to help assist communication and minimize listening fatigue.

4. Use a Remote Mic or an App to Enhance Communication

Consider using an assistive listening device, such as a remote microphone, or a smartphone app that amplifies speech and reduces background noise.

Remote Microphones

Remote microphones pair via Bluetooth with your hearing aids or cochlear implant to help you hear better in challenging listening environments. They are mainly helpful in situations where you are speaking with just one person. The small mic simply clips onto the speaker’s shirt, and picks up their voice, sending it directly to your hearing device. This means it cuts out all the noise between you and what you are trying to hear. Since remote mics bypass background noise, they can help improve speech clarity, reduce the cognitive effort required to understand conversations and help manage listening fatigue. Some popular options for remote mics from leading hearing aid manufacturers include the Phonak Roger™ Clip-On Mic, ReSound Micro Mic, and the Oticon ConnectClip.

If you are speaking to a group of people such as in a work meeting, you can place your remote mic on a table in front of the speakers or have the speakers pass it between themselves. However, this isn't always very practical in larger or more dynamic groups, in which case you may find a table microphone more helpful. Just place the table mic in the centre of a table, and it will detect where speech is coming from and stream it directly to your hearing device. The following are just some of the options for table mics: Phonak Roger™ TableMic II, ReSound Multi Mic, and the Widex Sound Assist™.

Sound-Enhancement Apps

These apps enhance your ability to communicate effectively and reduce listening effort.

Here are some examples of apps that can amplify speech and reduce background noise:

Sound Amplifier (Android): You can use this app with headphones to filter, augment and amplify sounds in your environment or on your Android device. This can be particularly useful for better speech recognition in noisy environments. Sound Amplifier is available for devices with Android 8.1 and later.

Sound Amplifier (iOS): This app works with your headphones to amplify sound up to 100 times, making it easier to hear conversations in noisy environments. It also reduces background noise for clearer sound. Sound Amplifier requires iOS 15.0 or later.

Live Listen (iOS): If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, you can use your wireless earbuds and headphones (AirPods or Beats) with the Live Listen built-in feature that allows you to use your earbuds as a personal sound amplification system. It enhances your hearing by picking up nearby audio and transmitting it directly to your earbuds. While it’s not a complete hearing aid replacement, it can be helpful in certain situations where you need to hear better in noisy environments or from a distance. To use Live Listen, your iOS or iPadOS device needs to be running iOS 14.3 or later.

5. Practise Active Listening

Practising active listening techniques like paraphrasing, summarizing, and asking clarifying questions can help you actively engage with the people you are speaking to. This can help boost comprehension and reduce listening fatigue. Maintaining eye contact and using visual cues can also help reduce cognitive load while listening.

6. Prioritise Self-Care

Getting a good night's sleep, exercising regularly and eating well can help you feel better equipped to handle daily listening tasks and be more resilient to fatigue.

You may also find it helpful to practise deep breathing, which can help reduce stress, relax the body, increase oxygen flow to the brain, improve circulation, and enhance mindfulness, all of which can help reduce listening fatigue.

And, don't underestimate the power of a short nap to help you recharge your batteries!

7. Set Boundaries

Pay attention to your body to recognise your listening limits. When you understand how much listening you can manage comfortably, you can then set boundaries to protect your mental and emotional well-being.

It’s OK to say “no” to commitments or activities that may exacerbate listening fatigue. Just be mindful that saying “no” doesn't lead you to feel more isolated or negatively affect your well-being. The more you communicate your needs with your loved ones and colleagues, the better they will understand your situation and be able to support you.

Self-advocacy not only benefits you, but also those around you. Prioritising your needs can help reduce stress and promote emotional balance. By setting an example of self-advocating, you are also encouraging healthier communication and relationships with loved ones and colleagues. If you don't explain to those around you the support you need, they are unlikely to know how to do so.

Need Some Support in Managing Listening Fatigue?

If you need some help in managing your listening fatigue, you’ve come to the right place. I can offer you support and guidance in taking an active role in managing your listening fatigue, helping you have improved interactions and a better quality of life.

Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call to see if coaching could be for you.

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Tired of Listening? Understanding and Managing Listening Fatigue for Better Well-Being