Thought for the week 💭

Tinnitus likes to fill 'gaps'. Gaps in sound, gaps in activity and gaps in attention and focus. For some, tinnitus awareness began during one of these gaps. Maybe they retired and were no longer so mentally and physically occupied or maybe they moved to a quieter area and there was less sound around to mask the tinnitus awareness. Think about your lifestyle pre tinnitus and post tinnitus. What has changed? What am I not doing that I was before? Think about your day. When is tinnitus most intrusive? For most, it is during periods of quiet or relaxation. Now try and fill the gaps. Fill silence with sound, preferably sound you like! If you are trying to focus on another task use sound without words i.e. natural sounds like waves or rain. If you are just pottering about you can use music or a radio station. Remember, if you have a hearing loss, this is creating a gap in sound that the tinnitus is filling so consider hearing aids.

If you have dropped activities, exercise or are no longer so mentally challenged, try and reintroduce things that aid mental and physical wellbeing. A lot of people find that tinnitus is less noticeable when they are engrossed in a task and physical activity helps to reduce the stress response which can be triggered by tinnitus awareness. Don't avoid things that previously gave you pleasure. Tinnitus is attention seeking try not to feed it!