Tinnitus can be distracting, frustrating and even debilitating, so managing it is critical for getting through the day. Many people experience tinnitus in “flare-ups,” when the ringing in their ears becomes louder or more intense in response to various triggers. One great way to find relief from tinnitus is to preempt flare-ups and prevent them from happening. Many of the 50 million people who suffer from tinnitus find success by prioritizing relaxing habits in their routines.
The Connection Between Tinnitus and Stress
Studies show that stress can worsen tinnitus or contribute to its onset. Stress is the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, characterized by a burst of energy, alertness, increased heart rate, increased physical strength and generally feeling “on edge.” Our bodies developed the stress response to deal with a perceived threat, helping you to react quickly to a situation and get you to safety. However, prolonged stress can have negative effects.
How does this relate to tinnitus? Stress activates numerous neural and hormonal pathways. Through its influence over the nervous system and through the release of hormones such as cortisol, the brain’s sound processing and emotional regulation are amped up. This can increase both the perception of tinnitus and the distress it causes.
Relaxation Habits to Incorporate into Your Daily Life
When you think of relaxing, you may think of a massage or spa day, or a big vacation to “get away from it all.” But relaxation doesn’t have to be as grand as all that. In fact, incorporating small habits into your daily routine can help you find relaxation throughout the day and even help you de-escalate or prevent a stress response. Here are some activities you can do daily or several times a week to help you relax and relieve tinnitus.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation and mindfulness are powerful techniques that promote relaxation and acceptance. Meditation is a state of heightened awareness in which you focus on and observe bodily sensations (most commonly, breathing). You may use guided imagery or progressive muscle relaxation as part of your meditation practice. Mindfulness is similar, but instead of focusing on bodily sensations, you step back from and focus on your thought processes. It’s an act of staying present and cultivating awareness.
Consider making a habit of meditating every day, perhaps right after you wake up to start the day off on a calm note. Then throughout the day, practice mindfulness, especially if you feel your stress levels rising. This may help bring your stress levels down and reduce the severity of your tinnitus.
Gentle Exercise
Moving your body and getting some exercise are also excellent for stress relief. Some examples include:
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Walking
- Working out
- Playing sports
By getting your body moving, you can enhance blood circulation, work and relax muscles, calm your mind and benefit your overall health. Adding an exercise routine to your day can go a long way in helping with stress and tinnitus.
Get Outside
This tip goes hand in hand with the suggestion above, as getting outside offers a plethora of opportunities for exercise, such as walking, jogging, hiking or gardening. Generally speaking, our bodies crave being outside, and getting outside for at least two hours a week is associated with better health and overall well-being. Fresh air can do wonders for your nervous and circulatory systems, which can directly help with de-escalating a stress response.
Moreover, you can use the ambient noise of the outdoors as sound therapy for your tinnitus. Sound therapy is the technique of using an ambient, soothing sound to cover up the sound of tinnitus or allow the sound to fade into the background of your perception. Sounds like a creek rolling by, birdsong or the wind in the trees can work toward this.
Listening to Music
Another common sound therapy technique is using music, particularly soft, soothing music. Giving your mind something soft to focus on can help it calm down and regulate a stress response, as well as relegate the tinnitus to the background and decrease your perception of it. You may consider getting in the habit of turning on soft music while you’re working or hanging out at home.
Pro tip: You don’t want loud music that will “drown out” the tinnitus, as stress makes your brain hyperactive and sensitive to potential threats. It may perceive a loud sound, even a loud sound you consciously turned on, as a potential sign of danger and elevate the stress response further.
Journaling
Journaling before bed can offer significant benefits to your cognitive function and stress response by offloading mental clutter, reducing the “spiraling thoughts” that often show up just before bedtime, and lowering cortisol, the stress hormone discussed earlier. Our brains are task-driven, so if there’s a thought or worry racing around your head that you haven’t acted on, your brain will stay “on” until it believes that it’s been adequately dealt with. Writing down that thought or worry in a journal is one way to tell the brain that it has been dealt with.
Getting Help
Relaxation habits like these can help a lot with dealing with tinnitus, but they may not work for everyone. Even if these habits do help you find relief, you shouldn’t have to suffer alone with tinnitus. Our specialists at Beneficial Hearing Aid Center can help you build a management strategy for tinnitus that helps you get the long-term relief you deserve. Call us today to learn more.