Hobbies — What Engrosses You and Takes Your Mind Off Your Tinnitus?

What hobbies do you all have that help engross you?

I'm looking for something I can do in the home at any time that takes my mind off this infernal noise.

Something that makes you happy is an added benefit!

 

Drawing
TV Shows
Movies
Video Games
Learning new skills with online video training
Photography (home studio)
Video creation (home studio)
Video editing
Photo editing
Story writing
Cooking

Find something you actually enjoy, the more you enjoy it, the more it will take your mind off of tinnitus. Otherwise it will feel like a chore.

Check out https://www.masterclass.com/ . Learn a new skill that peaks your interest from top people in their field. You'll recognize most, if not all, of the teachers.

 

vodka

 

Is your t not really loud, intense or intrusive? How do you concentrate or focus on the TV show or study activities when it is?

 

Playing my drums
Video games

Perhaps only the second option would work for you, but I know you play the piano, so if I were you I'd consider playing at low volume (an electronic piano: they are awesome - I have one next to my electronic drums) and would ask my doctors about it.

 

Don't think drums would be my choice of musical instrument lol

 

Photography
Metal Detecting

 

Hi-Fi audio and headphone testing.

 

TV shows
Chores/errands while not fun do take my mind of the T

 

That's why I was suggesting piano for you.

 

• Writing music
• Chess
• Photography
• Art
• Gym
• Sport
• Movies
• TV Shows
• Going out places (half of us don’t even know what’s in our own back garden)
• Mundane stuff like tidying up my house
• Charity work
• Helping others


These are just off the top of my head, but anything is better than lying around ruminating, that’s for sure.

 

You sound like a well rounded chap. Lying around ruminating used to be one of my favourite hobbies, ditto reading. Both not particularly helpful with tinnitus. I listen to BBC podcasts for hours a day. @Allan1967 podcasts are quite good to distract from the noise of tinnitus. Pub quizzes are fun. Have you got any pets? How's your tinnitus doing?

 

I like pub quizzes, and I also listen to podcasts as well. I also read a lot of science books and science magazines.

 

Take flying lessons. It demands all of your attention. Even the non flying part requires all your attention. And when I actually fly, the drone of the plane and wearing a headset completely nullifies my T and Hyperacusis. Wish I could do it all day long.

 

I was a private pilot (my license expired) a long time ago and was thinking about going back into it, but I admit I wonder about ear issues and whether we, as a group of people with a broken hearing apparatus, could be more susceptible to vestibular problems which, if flying solo, could be quite problematic. Have you thought about that at all?

 

Yes, I have thought about it a lot in the relatively short time I have been afflicted with this. I own my own plane so I have a bit more freedom than say if I was renting or something. If you have bouts of "vertigo", then you are done flying. Vertigo would ground you. I have lost all hearing in my right ear, but I don't experience vertigo, except for a mild dose at the time this thing hit me in the middle of the night. Other than a brief period of mild vertigo at that time I haven't had an issue with it. I'll be honest, I was a bit concerned when I did my first flight since loosing my hearing in one ear. I wasn't really sure what kind of effect it would have. And my balance has been a tiny bit compromised since the hearing loss. However, when I flew I had absolutely no issues with it. I have done a number of flights since. The fringe benefit of flying is my T and hyperacusis doesn't bother me at all when I am flying. It's like the perfect masking white noise. As far as the FAA rules go on a medical, from what I read, you can have hearing loss and still fly. The hearing test they give you is you have to be able to hear what somebody is saying while they stand 6 ft behind you. If you go for the new "Basic Med" you only have to have a drivers license and get a basic physical from your regular doctor.

 

It's back with vengeance @Agrajag364.

Living from day to day again. Thank you for asking.

 

I used to keep tropical freshwater and tropical Marine fish @Allan1967 either will help take your mind off tinnitus and can be very therapeutic. Tropical Marines (saltwater fish) are especially rewarding. Maintaining water chemistry is one of the biggest challenges and will keep you entertained for hours. Please be warned keeping marines can be addictive and hugely expensive. Tropical freshwater might be the best way to go if you haven't kept fish before. Checkout Practical Fishkeeping, to get a taste what this hobby entails. https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/ There are many youtube videos giving information on how to maintain a tropical freshwater or marine aquarium.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Music (lower volumes), a nice night out friends or a new date, gaming. The more occupied I am the better.

 

Video games for sure
It has been my savior in reliving anxiety (not only tinnitus but even before that) because I get 100% focused on something else and get a breather from my overthinking and tinnitus.

 

Same for me as well. Video games not only provide audio distractions but also visual and intense concentration. Lol.

 

Yea, same. In my lifetime I’ve had an Atari 2600, ZX spectrum, NES, SNES, Amiga 1200, N64, GameCube, Wii u, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4.

You could say that gaming has had a very big influence on me.

 

Does anyone here who has or think they have severe t, whether most of the time or at times, play video games or watch TV?

I wonder whether TVs, monitors or computers can affect t, whether that means spiking it or intensifying it, etc.

Is that a reasonable concern or unnecessary, do you think? RF, ENF and all that...

 

I do.

 

Walking, yoga, shoveling snow and yard work help to keep me engrossed. Physical activity also helps me to sleep better.

Crocheting is something I do in the evening, while relaxing and watching TV. Anyone need a hat? I have made more than I can count in the last year.

 

Lifting weights.

 

The computer or TV (noise/sounds) doesn't bother you?

 

There's a lot of masking noise when playing video game. It varies from game-game of course, but generally so long as the volume is at a reasonable level it's fine. There are usually multiple types of sound from games these days whether we're talking music, environment, background noise, character dialogue/talking (etc).

 

My T bothers me, but not the computer or TV sounds.

 

I thought it might spike from that. I don't know if even that would mask mine. It's so intense and loud but the high pitched, piercing 'whine' sound...

I don't if any hobby will work. I go for walks with the dog. Then I come in and wonder if there is a point in time I would seriously consider suicide.

This t has to drastically change soon for the better... I can't take much more.