Is your hearing loss holding you back?
A limiting belief is that little negative voice in your head that holds you back from accepting great opportunities. Let’s explore, challenge, and exchange limiting beliefs around your hearing loss!
Do you believe your hearing loss is holding you back?
Do you ever feel like you miss out on new experiences or exciting opportunities because of your hearing loss? Perhaps, the new situation or opportunity comes with challenging communication environments, such as places with lots of background noise. Are you feeling stuck? Maybe you have lost some confidence due to your hearing loss, or perhaps you can't put your finger on a particular reason for why you don't grab new opportunities, but you feel your hearing loss could be the reason.
Whatever the reason for believing your hearing loss is holding you back, below are some questions to help give you more clarity on the situation and figure out how you can begin to challenge this belief!
What is the activating situation?
When, exactly, do you notice yourself pulling away from or rejecting new experiences? Is it generally in work situations or do you notice this behaviour more in social scenarios? Maybe it’s both?
What would you need to change to feel more comfortable accepting new challenges? When you consider this question, think about the things that are in your power to change (e.g. getting enough rest, making preparations before an event, asking ahead of time for any necessary accommodations, learning to use a new hearing aid setting etc.) Make a note of these things—this will be helpful to refer to as you work through this process.
How does it feel?
This feeling of missing out or holding back from an exciting opportunity, how does it feel? Do you notice physical sensations such as tensed muscles, a changed breathing pace, or a knot in your stomach? Or, perhaps your body relaxes when you realise you don’t need to go outside your comfort zone.
What are you thinking to yourself when presented with a new opportunity? How long have you felt your hearing loss has been holding you back?
What are the consequences?
How is having the feeling of missing out a problem for you? Now, for a more challenging question—In what way do you feel that having this belief benefits or protects you? Think about this for a while…
… Now, if this feeling suddenly disappeared or changed, what would be different? What would other people see in you as a result?
Challenging the limiting belief
Where do you think this belief comes from? Is there a specific moment or situation you can identify when this all began? Now, for another challenging question—How could this belief be faulty? Can you think of a time when this belief has been (even slightly) wrong? Perhaps your hearing loss has led to some positive things in your life—what are these?
Exchanging the limiting belief
Now, instead of believing your hearing loss holds you back, what belief would be more useful instead? Write this down and display it somewhere you can see it regularly—say it out loud!
Woman jumping across water at sunset. Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay
How would things change if you had this alternative belief? Now, take a deep breath, and ask yourself, on a scale of 1-10, how prepared are you to try this new way of belief?
Looking forwards
If you choose to adopt this new belief, what could you do to try it out? TIP: start with something small and achievable! What will be your first steps to demonstrate this new way of thinking? When will you take them? Consider telling a close friend or family member about your goal, so they can offer encouragement and be an accountability partner.
How do you think your life will change with this new belief? How do you want it to change?
Focus on the positives
When we challenge that negative voice in our heads that holds us back, we can begin to have new opportunities and experiences. Good luck!
Need a little support? Work with me to explore, challenge, and exchange limiting beliefs!
