Hearing loss isn’t something anyone expects, but it can be something that happens to anyone, at any age.
The biggest myth of hearing aids and hearing loss in general is that it only happens to the older generations. While that’s somewhat true, there are still plenty of young children, teens, and young adults who experience hearing loss, too.
For those who are in their career chapter of life, the cost of ignoring hearing loss can be substantial. This guide looks at the unspoken career costs that happen when you neglect your hearing health.
How misheard moments can alter perception and credibility?
When you miss something that’s been said in the workplace, it can initially be considered a mistake, but the frequency of it can actually do a lot of damage to your reputation.
Perceived incompetence
Frequent misunderstandings or errors as a result of missed instructions can often lead others to question the individual’s competence and reliability.
Reduced confidence and initiative
The fear of mishearing or saying the wrong thing can cause hesitation in contributing to discussions or ideas. That can be perceived as a lack of initiative, which only damages credibility further.
Social isolation
Struggling to follow casual conversations and office banter can lead to social withdrawal, which limits opportunities for informal networking, etc.
The quiet stress created by compensating in meetings
It’s also worth mentioning that there can be a lot of stress put on your body physically and mentally when you’re compensating for a lack of hearing in work meetings and environments where you’re struggling to hear.
Cognitive load
Your brain is working hard to fill in the missing words and information, which diverts your energy from creative thinking and participation.
Anxiety and social withdrawal
Fear of misunderstanding or asking for repetitions can only contribute to anxiety, reduced participation, and feelings of isolation.
Physical fatigue
The mental exertion can often result in genuine physical tiredness by the end of a working day.
Perceived competence
Individuals may worry about colleagues perceiving them as inattentive or less capable when they have communication difficulties.
The point where proactive solutions protect your professional momentum
It’s important to think about your career and how your hearing might be affecting it. Hearing aids are a lot more advanced and commonly used amongst people of all ages and backgrounds. They’re certainly not something you should feel ashamed or weak about wearing. They’re simply a tool that helps to improve your hearing capacity.
Just like you would get help for any eye problems or dental health, the same goes for your ear health, too. Regular check-ups with an audiologist can be useful to spot any underlying problems with your hearing that you might not have noticed yourself.
Consider what you could be doing to help improve your hearing and to avoid it compromising your career efforts in the future. It’s always better to be attentive to your hearing and to look proactively into ways of fixing or managing it than it is to just not make any effort at all.
