Activities That Help You Adjust to New Hearing Aids

Helpful Hearing Exercises

🎚️ Turn Down the TV Volume
Ask someone to set the TV volume to a level that’s comfortable for someone with normal hearing. Try to stick to this setting consistently. Watching movies or shows with captions or subtitles can help your brain reconnect sounds with language — seeing and hearing at the same time strengthens those connections.

💬 Join a Small Group Conversation
Start with two or three close friends or family members, as familiar voices are easier to recognize. Face the person speaking and practice active listening. This helps your brain link sounds, speech patterns, and nonverbal cues.

🌳 Find a Quiet Spot Outdoors
Even the quietest outdoor spaces can be surprisingly noisy. Listen for the wind, birdsong, rustling leaves, passing cars, and more. Practice identifying and locating the sounds. As you grow more confident, close your eyes and try to find the source of each sound without looking.

📱 Have a Phone Conversation
Phone calls can be more difficult since you lose visual cues. Ask the person to speak clearly and at a moderate pace. If your hearing aids are Bluetooth-enabled, try streaming the audio directly to them. If not, hold the phone closer to the hearing aid’s microphone and try different angles to improve sound quality. Check out this article if you need help connecting your devices.

🏠 Practice in a Noisy Home Environment
Turn on the TV or radio at a normal volume and have a conversation in the same room. Focus on the conversation and try to ignore the background noise—it’s a great way to train your brain to filter out distractions.

🚘 Go for a Drive
Cars can be unexpectedly loud. Notice the hum of the engine, the sound of tires on the road, the wind, and other background noises. You might even hear something you’ve never noticed before (like squeaky brakes!). Don’t worry if conversation is difficult at first — your brain will gradually adjust.

☕ Visit a Coffee Shop or Quiet Restaurant
Choose a location with minimal background noise — corner booths or spots away from the kitchen are ideal. Be patient, and if the environment becomes overwhelming, don’t hesitate to lower the volume or remove your hearing aids for a break. Progress takes time, but hopefully, you’ll enjoy great conversation — and maybe some local gossip — along the way.