Did you know that tiredness and fatigue is a common issue for deaf people, regardless of how mild or profound their deafness is?
The issue surrounding concentration fatigue is not something that is immediately obvious to anyone and it’s certainly not a topic that you’d normally associate with deaf people.
But it’s a common situation and occurs when deaf people can find concentration hard work, to the point where you are so mentally tired, that they can’t concentrate anymore.
As someone who knows exactly what that feels like, I can tell you that it sucks.
But it’s important to get an understanding of what is it, what are the side-effects and how can you deal with it…whether you are deaf or not (as you can still make it easier for deaf people to deal with it).
You can watch the video below or scroll down to read more:
What is Concentration Fatigue?
Concentration fatigue is a term used when your brain’s inhibitory attention mechanisms are working extra hard and it is caused when a person finds concentration hard work.
The average deaf person will have to use various attention mechanism in order to interpret and eventually understand what is said because they have to pay more attention than a person with typical hearing levels because they have to use up more of their brains’ resources when listening and lip reading.
There are many stories of deaf people going through bouts of concentration, and one person who has explained it well is Ian Noon in this blog post, and the following quote is a good example of what it feels like if you want to get an understanding of what it feels like:
“Processing and constructing meaning out of half-heard words and sentences. Making guesses and figuring out context. And then thinking of something intelligent to say in response to an invariably random question.
It’s like doing jigsaws, Suduku and Scrabble all at the same time.”
If you are learning a new language, you may understand how this feel. When you are listening to someone speak in the language that you are learning, you are then translating it to your spoken language in your head, and then you instantly work on translating your reply to the language you are learning.
This all happens instantly, but it can make you tired, especially if you are still learning the language.
The side-effects of Concentration Fatigue
According to one particular study:
“…children suffering from recurrent fatigue tend to miss more school (for reasons unrelated to physical ailments); are at increased risk for poor academic performance, making them less prepared to advance; and are more likely to fail a grade than their nonfatigued peers.”
Horby et. all, 2015
It’s worrying enough for parents that their deaf children face barriers during their day-to-day lives. But it is also another thing to worry about if those who are school could fall behind academically, simply because concentrating on hearing, lip reading and interpreting is hard work.
There are various other side effects too:
1. You feel like having a nap – I’m not one to take naps, but there are times where all that concentration meant that you want to take a quick power nap to get your energy back up.
2. Headaches can come and go – your brain is working hard, so it’s natural that headaches can come, especially if you haven’t taken a break. This is a challenge because when you are in the zone at work, you forget to take a break. And when you get a headache, it’s a reminder for you to take a break.
3. People think that you don’t sleep enough – because it’s not obvious to everyone apart from you, people are quick to judge you that you are not sleeping enough and tells you to do something about that (something which happened to me before).
4. You zone out in your own world – this is the moment when you feel like you hit a brick wall. Your brain is switched off and you stare at a blank space, sometimes without even realising it.
5. People think that you are being rude/lazy/selfish – it’s hard to focus when you are tired. So it’s natural that you unintentionally don’t listen to the other person because you have zoned out or you are suddenly tired from concentrating. And as a result, you give off the impression that you are being rude/lazy/selfish.
6. Important information can be missed out – this is evident when someone is talking. And you don’t have to be fatigued, as you can be zoning in and out just because you were tired for a moment. And as a result, you missed out on something…and you don’t know what.
7. FOMO can happen – it’s not uncommon to avoid going to social events because the fatigue has kicked in. You are so desperate to go out, socialise and just have fun. But the fatigue can be a big one and you might either not go to social events or you leave early because you can’t cope.
8. You may experience ‘deaf anxiety’ – a topic that not many people talk about is ‘deaf anxiety’. This is when a deaf or hard of hearing person have gone through a moment in their lives which has triggered anxiety as a result of their inability to hear. And it’s not a nice experience either.
Deaf Anxiety
What is it & Why We Need to Talk About it More Often?
How to deal or help those with Concentration Fatigue?
There are several things you can do to help deal with concentration fatigue:
- take regular breaks throughout the day
- go for walks and breathe in some fresh air
- drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated throughout the day
- try to be in environments where the background noise is low
- be alone in a quiet space if you need to (and take off your hearings aids if you are wearing one)
- use subtitles or closed-captions where possible when watching TV programmes, videos, movies, YouTube clips, etc.
- communicate in areas with good lighting to enable lip reading
- provide options of a hearing loop system (or audio induction loop), a special type of sound system for use by people with hearing aids
- be aware of those who needs to space to recover
- try to be open about it to other people about how you are feeling
- when choosing a place to sit, seat yourself close enough to the speaker/lecturer/teacher/instructor
My personal Concentration Fatigue story
I am no different to other deaf people as I regularly go through bouts of concentration fatigue, particularly towards the end of the day.
You can imagine a typical job or task where you tend to do them during the day and then wind down in the evening.
But there are cases where it can happen earlier on during the day, especially if you are listening to a person speaking for a long period of time.
For example, I may have gone through a number of meetings or video calls during the day at work, which required a huge use of energy to focus and concentrate when communicating with hearing people.
Most of my phone calls tend to happen during the day, which requires a huge amount of attention and focus for me personally, as it is challenging enough as it is.
It may not be a surprise to you that I am at most productive early in the morning when I feel refreshed and have the most energy.
But depending on what I do during the day, the fatigue can kick-in quickly and sometimes unexpectedly.
This was a challenge during my school and university times. During the day, there is a lot of focus and concentration trying to interpret what the teachers and lecturers are saying, as well as communicating with fellow students, which tends to happen in noisy environments.
And that meant more energy is required to focus on what they are saying.
By the time you get home, you feel tired. But you can’t rest or stop. No, no! You still have homework to do, essays to write and studying to do.
Or maybe you have to get ready for your part-time job, which meant that you have to muster up enough energy to get through the rest of the day.
During high school and universities, I have worked in restaurants, events like music concerts and football stadiums, and at leisure centres. They each require interacting with people which meant even more concentration required, and in a noisier environment.
And it’s not necessarily during work-related situations where you feel tired. Even though social events can eventually knock you out.
Imagine if you are a restaurant, bars or special occasions like a wedding. They tend to be noisy and loud. Communicating in these environments will naturally require more resources from my brain.
Going to conferences is hard enough. You spend all day learning, focusing and listening. For most people, you tend to feel tired by the time it ends. But is even more so for those with less than average hearing.
The brain’s cognitive resources have quickly run out of steam.
And like any traditional conferences, there are social events before and after it ends. Again, they tend to be held in very loud environments, which is never ideal.
But again, you (somehow) muster up enough energy to attend and make the most of engaging with fellow attendees.
There had been times where I have left these social events simply because 1) it is impossible to communicate with anyone, and 2) after using up a lot of energy during the conference, you then force yourself to concentrate even more during the social events…until you hit a brick wall and you have to go back home or to the hotel.
And it’s mainly why I don’t last all night (that, and I’m not as hardcore as other people).
Some people have mentioned that learning and speaking sign language is the “cure” for this because you won’t have to concentrate as much as other people, particularly those who lip read.
I’ve started my own quest to learn BSL for my own personal reasons, but I know that it’s not for everyone. Not everyone wants/needs to learn sign language for whatever the reason, and I think we should respect that everyone has their own needs.
If you do learn sign language (and there are many benefits to doing that), you will enter a whole new world just like when you learn any language.
But regardless of whether I do learn sign language or not, concentration fatigue will exist in some form.
So concentration fatigue is a thing, but it’s not that obvious.
I am pretty certain that those who are reading this and knows me personally does not know that it happens to me almost on a frequent basis.
(So if you see me looking zoned out…now you know why).
Even though it’s not something that can be cured, it can be dealt with better and made easier.
If you are hearing and you want to understand better about concentration fatigue, next time you feel like you are tired after a hard day at work, or after a long conversation, or even at social events, think about how deaf people can be even more tired than you if placed in the same situation.
And if you are d
Be kind to yourself.
- What is ‘audism’? Plus my personal experiences of facing audism - October 27, 2021
- ‘CODA’ movie review: my thoughts on the latest deaf movie to be released - October 13, 2021
- Deafness as a ‘hidden/invisible disability’ - October 6, 2021
Great article. I have this quite often. In meeting most of the day and on web conference calls. On top of reading a lot of documents.
Thanks Mark. Yeah, web conference call is definitely another situation for me that can get mentally draining.
Yesterday my Dr said I just dont pay attention. I’m just tired of putting more effort into a conversation than the other person. Sometimes I get an inner understanding that doesn’t match what their saying. Spoken words can be deceiving.
That’s crazy, Joy.
This is one of the many reasons why I don’t feel like I can talk about this or anxiety to my doctors. They won’t get it, and they never will unless they live through it themselves. It’s something that you don’t want anyone to go through but also, it’s a shame that they can’t at least sympathise.
I know that when I become tired, my comprehension of the Heard Word goes out of the window, and I just go into standby mode. So Others think I am rude or a bit thick. But I cannot cope with background noise at all.
It’s natural to lose focus, especially when you’ve been doing that so hard, when you start to get tired mentally. Unfortunately, not everyone will understand that but sometimes, we need to speak up about it.
oh, my.gods..thaml you for writing this article:.it describes me to a T. I wish I had known this year’s sooner; it validates kind of my whole damn existence, and even touched on things related to my divorce and criticisms I get from my housemates. too late to walk my divorce back, but gives me insight to my current interpersonal struggles.with housemates and social friends. sharing on my Facebook wall now, thank you so mucn. for this perspective which is now a tool for further introspection. kudos again.
No problem at all Josh. I too wish I had known this many years ago when I was in school. But there’s no point thinking about the past so I hope it will help you from today onwards. I found that it is also helpful if I am more open about it with certain people so that they can understand it better.
This is fascinating. As an autistic person with auditory processing issues, I experience all of these.
Thank you Rachel. I have learnt that many people, and not just those are d/Deaf, will understand the feeling of going through concentration fatigue.
What a fantastic article! Although my physical hearing is fine, like Rachel, I am autistic and have significant auditory processing issues. And like many autistic people, I have difficulty getting enough sleep at night. So the end result is very much the same as what you have described, and your ideas for coping are just what I was looking for! One suggestion I have when watching videos is to use a program or app that is capable of slowing down the playback speed (along with displaying closed-captions or subtitles). For me, this greatly increases comprehension and at the same time significantly reduces stress levels.
Slowing down video is a great suggestion Dave. For those who likes to watch/listen at faster speed, the idea of slowing them down sounds very alien to them. But of course, they are lucky that they don’t share the struggles that some people go through when it comes to processing sounds. I hope your tip will also help others too.
I work with the deaf and when there is a group of deaf and they are all signing at the same time it is over whelming! So I get it… signing is very tiring omg!! I live in both worlds deaf and hearing but I am happy to be part of this world….the good and bad…deaf people need breaks naps close their eyes. Breaks are important 👌✌️🤜
I agree. Just because sign language is a language, it doesn’t mean that you don’t get tired from focusing on it all the time. If only we can nap after every conversation 😂
And I have a lot of respect for interpreters who have to translate from sign language to oral language, which is also very exhausting too. Not enough people know about that.
This went viral again. It is just what I needed to validate my experience at both work and school.
The more people know about it, the more people will understand your predicament about feeling tired. I’m glad it’s going around again if it means making more people aware.
This is a wonderful article! Is this considered a medical condition? If not it sure should be.
Keep up the wonderful & informative writing!
Txs Meandmyshadow
I don’t believe that it’s an official medical condition. But judging by the number of people who feels it every day, you’d think it’s something that medical practictioners would be familiar with.
Thanks for reading 😊
If you are profoundly Deaf and have tinnitus that goes 24/7 like I have is also very exhausting concentrating. ☹ Does anyone else have that issue?
I don’t have the same issue, but it sounds really exhausting 😔
Yes I get tinnitus in both ears 24/7 I have no hearing without hearing aids.
That sounds tough, Nola. How do you handle your tinnitus?
Hi My name is Jay and I do too!
I have a mixed bag with hearing impairment, low range frequency low lost, middle range frequency medium too severe and my high frequency is profound. Tinnitus is constant but certainly more pronounced when fatigued. I work in a noisy environment the supermarket alongside my Hearing Dog for Deaf People Rufus on the checkout tills and in the kiosk.
I would loved too further my career by working full time as a section leader but reality is that my hearing impairment and concentration fatigue would probably not tolerate it much.
I’d hope that you can find a way to further your career in some way or form Jay, even if it’s not as a section leader. Have you thought about that?
I have loud tinnitus off and on hat can last sometimes for hours. When it’s there it can be very hard sometimes to filter out the tinnitus to hear what you need to hear.
Absolutely. I have that same thing. Trying to eliminate the tinnitus while at the same time concentrating on conversation on I’m late onset deaf ( grew up HOH). Exhausted faster & more frequently.
If you found a way to eliminate tinnitus completely, let us know. We could do with some advice 😅
Yes I do.. so tired and very annoyed with tinnitus. Very hard concentrating on my art courses and I’m nightshift worker. Double tired 😴
Thank you for writing this! As a Deaf person I can relate to this so much! I struggled in school as a kid. No one understood and would get mad at me when I couldn’t as I would “check out” or struggle being so tired. I bluffed my way out and would sneak away take naps. I got eye fatigue so much that the dr said lipread less as it strained my eyes to the point of getting glasses in my 20s. From that point on I decided when and if I wanted to use lots of concentration or lipread or not. My energy my choice. Decades later I rarely ever lipread. I conserve my energy for whats important to me and gage my time as much as possible. I so enjoy a full nights sleep and naps!
I totally get you. I’ve had the same thing and people always wonder why I am tired at the end of the day whilst they still have energy. It’s not always easy to explain, and when you do, it’s generally misunderstood or not taken seriously. It’s interesting about not making the effort to lipread to conserve energy. I may give that a go one day, though it’s hard it’s natural for me to do that.
I’ve had moderate hearing loss my whole life and wear two hearing aids, I always attended mainstream schools and colleges. It’s always been the joke in my family that I sleep twice as much as everyone and I’m still always tired, just thought I’d google it to see if it could he related to my hearing as noone else in my family is deaf. This makes so much sense!! I hadn’t even thought about this, thank you!!
I can totally understand where you are coming from. It’s a problem when hearing people starts to dismiss and ridicule your tiredness when they are feeling energetic. It may be funny at first, but it’s get tiring (pun intended) after a while.
I’m really pleased that you found an answer with the help of this post. 🙂
This begins as one of the better written pieces I’ve seen where the word ‘deaf’ is inclusive. It follows that there is no doubt that brain fatigue is a thing. What we have to be careful about is cause and effect confusion and the distinction between cognition and the ability to hear.
In practical terms there is fatigue for anyone in relative terms of their given circadian cycles. There is no real difference to be had between modalities of any sort. Therefore what you are talking about is the mental effort to replace a loss, in this case a loss of sound. The compound factor is a given.
It is also a relative absurdity.
Equating hearing and speech with cognition is simply fallacious. 1 in 6 adults between the ages of 16 and 65 are illiterate in the USA (American Library Association Annual Report, 2015). Thats a full 18% of the population, a sum almost double the actual deaf population (where deaf means wholly or partially lacking in sound) that has never exceeded 10% of the whole population in sum average.
My view here is that this is a story about the exhausting efforts to simply communicate by trying to hear what one cannot hear, thus the confusionbetween hearing and conlfnition. Communications presumes a two way street. Communications presume cognition, or the ability to share in understanding. Understanding presumes a common frame of reference (E.D. Hirsch Jr. “Cultural Literacy) and cognition depends on a contextual library. This is a story about trying to replace what is there and the futility of it all by trying to hear what you cannot hear.
And so on, and so forth.
The matter of deafness should not be so much about the struggle to understand, but about the common affliction of deafness –or any other disability that we all share. Common understanding leads to common solutions and we aren’t there yet. We are too busy talking about the effect (fatigue).
What I love about this post is how we get different perspectives from different people. This comment is no different, so thanks for that Alec. Fatigue is more complex than what we think. Thanks for sharing your inputs Alec. I enjoyed reading it. 🙂
I often forget that this is one of my reasons for being exhausted all the time. Kids and lack of sleep because kids are also the 2 other main culprits. 😆 But it’s a good reminder to work on getting more and better sleep, because it’s easier to concentrate (and parent!) that way. It also makes for a more enjoyable day!
As for ways that I cope, I am no longer a spontaneous person, for the most part. Don’t spring plans on me and expect me to be happy with them, or that I will go along, no matter how fun and exciting they may be. But, if I’m given even a day or so advanced warning, that short time allows me to mentally prepare for the fact that I’m going to be among other people and will definitely have a hard time communicating a good portion of the time, if not the majority of the time. I’ve come to a point in my “hearing loss journey”, where I pick and choose how I expend that energy when out of the house. It definitely helps that I am a stay at home mom at the moment and don’t have to be “on” the same way I was as a manager.
Ahh kids…I’m not a parent but I can totally appreciate how much energy they can take out of you 😅
I like what you said about being aware of what is to come. It’s why it’s easier to keep up with conversation if you have an idea of what the topic is about.
But it’s also very wise to work out when is the best time to use your “energy allocation”. Hence why I try to work out whether it’s better to attend an event or not.
Not just loop systems help. FM systems are a wonderful help with creating a better listening environment and helping to cut down the concentration fatigue.
I also tell the teachers I work with that it is helpful to plan a quiet activity for the end of the day and to alternate the activities where lots of listening is required with quieter activities. This helps to lessen the fatigue.
For those who requires them, loop system is great…if they work and they are regularly maintained/serviced.
I also tell the teachers I work with that it is helpful to plan a quiet activity for the end of the day and to alternate the activities where lots of listening is required with quieter activities. This helps to lessen the fatigue.
Good idea Wendy. And I don’t feel that people will complain about that either. Has it worked well for you?
Great!
There s a name for it!
Yes, its all about struggling to stay ahead. And succeeding with it. Yay.. but then it starts all over again the next day. Its a marathon… you can win many times, It requires hard work every time and it does not get any better! Its a funny thing! My reasons for taking breaks in socializing! Hanging around deaf people is a respite for me. I do get plenty of knowledge when with hearing people….
Yep, that’s right Laura. It’s great that there is a name for it and it’s a real thing. It used to bother about taking breaks, but it doesn’t anymore as I just see it as a way to look after myself better and perhaps even prolong a social event.
I have noticed that you have not mentioned the benefits of Sign Language. I would be careful using the word “Deaf” in a broad term. From what I read, it seems concentration fatigue only applies to oral deaf or hard of hearing people who rely greatly on their hearing aides and lip-reading. 90% of information goes to human brain through eyes – so, why not use your eyes to learn and listen?
Hey Robyn. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. Whilst I do agree that you can learn a lot from learning Sign Language, judging by the responses, it’s not for everyone for whatever their reasons may be. I am learning BSL myself for my own personal reasons and I can immediately see the benefits, and I have also mentioned the benefits of learning sign language here too: https://hearmeoutcc.com/benefits-learning-sign-language/
What a fabulous article! Thank you so much. I had always been hard of hearing as a child, then many years later as an adult all my natural hearing was removed because of radical mastoidectomies in both ears. I was then issued with a bone conduction hearing aid which was fantastic. Several years later because things were getting worse I then had surgery for a BAHA……. I notice my hearing once again is diminishing. I now understand my fatigue much better.
That’s fantastic to hear Linda. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Understanding your fatigue is a huge thing to be able to do and I really hope that it will help you to handle those moments better in the future. Always look after yourself.
I’ll let you in on a secret if you promise to tell no one. When concentration fatigue overwhelms me in a social situation such as dinner with a large number of people, I let myself zone out . . . and when someone asks why my attention is elsewhere, I say, “I’m working on my next book.”
Works for me. They buy it every time.
Oooh, interesting.
And maybe you can replace “book” with music/article/recipes/holiday plans/life plans/etc.
Genius Henry. Pure genuis! 🤣
This article will be great to share. As an interpreter, we also get mental fatigue. As an interpreter in education, being the advocate and role model for the Deaf student(s) this topic is extremely relevant. Checking if out for a few minutes is like turning car off before it over heats.
I agree Rayan. I’ve talked about giving interpreters a break as it’s exhausting for them and everyone needs to appreciate what they do more, regardless of whether you are hearing or d/Deaf or hard of hearing. You can check it out here: https://hearmeoutcc.com/appreciate-sign-language-interpreters/
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Here in Canada we are officially bilingual. I was watching the interpreter for the Prime Minister as he spoke first in English and then in French. Without missing a beat, she translated his English and then his French. She must go home and just flop for the rest of the day.
Absolutely Beth! Anyone doing deserves a break.
Live language translation is hard work and language translators don’t get the appreciation they deserve when they listen, translate and say what the person is saying in seconds. It’s so impressive.
Thank you so much for this article. I have diminished hearing in both ears and wear hearing aids. Sometimes I just feel so invisible because I can’t keep up with conversations anymore and then people tend to leave me out of them, not wanting to repeat themselves. My audiologist had magazines that briefly explained how much work trying to hear can be. Your words will help me explain it better to those I am around and maybe bring more understanding as well as help me deal with concentration fatigue better in my life. Thanks again.
No problem at all May 😊 I’m really glad it has helped you and I hope it will help you in your future audiology appointments.
In my experience, a lot of audiologists are not truly knowledgeable on those kind of struggles and social-related barriers. So feel free to share this article with them if you feel that it will help them.
Its interesting article and glad I’m not the only one. No wonder I usually feel tired from mid-morning and wanting a quick nap especially when I started to lose concentration. Hope this will raise more awareness to make people understand better.
I hope so too, Lee. So far, it seems that this article is helping to raise that awareness but we’ve got a long way to go until it becomes a general knowledge.
Even if it doesn’t, I’m really pleased that you found the article useful.
I have found your articles really interesting to read, and to come across terms that just instantly click! Born deaf and have worn hearing aids my whole life, I’ve had the constant battle of not being ‘Deaf’ enough for the Deaf world but also not ‘Hearing’ enough for the Hearing world, that constant stuck in the middle-ness with both ‘worlds’, at times, not understanding you. These articles are great for providing insight as to us middle worlders 🙂.
“Middle worlders”…that’s a new one for me, but I get it 🙂
No problem at all Lulu. We’re not the most obvious within the society, but obviously we do exist.
Thank you so much for this, I have auditory processing disorders and struggle with certain sounds. What you mention makes perfect sense to my life, thank you,
It’s a pleasure Maggie 😊 It’s very pleasing to hear that it has helped you to understand your situation better.
I have had hearing problems all my life. (for over 60 years) I have been lucky to be married to a woman who can recognize when I’m getting tired from hearing. She will come up with some excuse for us to leave the social event gracefully. Also I have to say I too have audio processing disorder, and after reading many of the replies, I am happy to see I am not alone there.
Absolutely Steve. This post and the subsequent comments from various people has really helped to show that a lot of people goes through the same thing so it’s not just in our head that we are thinking. We do feel it!
Your situation also sounds like me wife, where she also keeps an eye on me before, during and after events. We’re very lucky to have that.
Thank you so much for this article. I thought it was just me!
No problem Lynda. It’s amazing how many people thought the same, yet it’s a situation to be in.
Hello and thanks for this brilliant articlei. We have an adult deaf son who works full time and experiences most of what you write.
Do you have any research material relating to adults? We ask as we would like to get NDIS to help fund some home help for him, as he is exhausted after work.
Do you have regular communication buletins, newsletters, etc?
No problem at all, Peter. I’m glad you found it useful. I don’t have any research material for adults I’m afraid, and this prompted me to write this article to share personal experiences instead, which seems to have resonated with a lot of people. I’m not familiar with NDIS, as I’m based in the UK, though we have something familiar here. I’d be very surprised if they are not able to help you. Is that happening to you?
If you want to sign up to regular newsletter, you can do so here: https://hearmeoutcc.com/newsletter/
Thanks Ahmed
I literally cried reading this because I have struggled to articulate this feeling and to even really come to terms with how often this happens to me. I switched positions at my job last year and I went from working in reception where I answered phones and spoke to clients in a very noisy environment. I came home so tired I didn’t even have the energy to make dinner or do any chores most days. I now work in a quiet office where I can listen to music or podcasts while working and it has made a world of difference. I feel so much more productive and efficient in this role than in my previous one. Because I am working half as hard to just FUNCTION. Thank you for your words, Ahmed.
Thank you Chelsea. I’m so pleased that it resonated with you. You are certainly not alone in what you are feeling and I’m very certain so many people can relate to what you have experienced and are experiencing. Thank you for speaking up.