23/12/2025
Christmas Day can be brilliant.
It can also be hard work if you have hearing loss.
But a few small decisions make a disproportionate difference:
Claim the best seats early, before it turns into musical chairs.
Good sightlines and light on faces reduce listening effort far more than people expect. If you can see properly, you donât have to work as hard - FACT!
Set one simple expectation at the start. âCatch my eye before you startâ is usually enough. It avoids the classic Christmas issue of people talking to the side of your head without realising.
Donât try to follow the whole table. Pick a channel. One conversation at a time is manageable. Four at once is how you end up exhausted and mildly irritated by mid-afternoon.
Use distance as a volume control. A small lean-in or a quiet chair shuffle beats turning anything up.
If you miss something, ask straight away. âSorry, I missed that bitâ works every time. Waiting until the story has moved on is when it gets awkward...
Use the tech you already have. If you have a setting for speech in noise or directional focus, switch before the meal begins. Remote microphones can be incredible for this type of situation too.
And when your brain needs a reset, take on a quick âtea jobâ. Topping up drinks or fetching plates gives you two minutes away and lets you rejoin without disappearing.
Better hearing at Christmas is mostly choreography! Have an amazing day.
