Noise Pollution
- Caprice
- Oct 13, 2016
- 2 min read
For many folks, I'm learning, loud music, crowds with multiple conversations, and the sounds of life in general can be invigorating and refreshing. This came as a surprise to me when I was having a conversation with a young man we were hosting this summer from the UK. It honestly never occurred to me that some folks might feel this way.
Occasionally I adore a song turned up loud. Uptown Funk simply MUST be listened to at full volume while driving along on the highway. That said, put me in a room packed full of people all talking in little groups at full volume while Uptown Funk is playing loudly in the background and about 10 minutes in you'll see me running for the nearest exit.
There are some restaurants I won't go back to because of the noise. These days the industrial style seems to be popular with concrete floors, bare walls and unfinished ceilings. While I can appreciate the visual aesthetic, sound just pings around and seems to get amplified. For me, this is a torture chamber. It's painful to feel like I have to defend myself from all the ambient noise while trying to be present with my dinner companion and my (hopefully) delicious meal. Sometimes I can't even manage a conversation as I can barely hear the person I'm with over the cacophony of sounds.
When I'm overstimulated from too many and too loud sounds, I can feel my whole body humming, with most of the humming happening in my head. If I were to visualize it, it would look like all my nerve endings standing on end and vibrating. At that point, an unexpected touch or someone clinking a glass in the background can make me jump out of my skin.
What works best for me is to have just one source of stimulus as the focus. Open spaces are better for loud music, especially if the audience is quietly listening. If I'm going to be at a concert or other loud indoor event, I have learned to bring ear plugs. If I'm going to have to be conversing with others, I try to find quiet corners where I can have a private one on one conversation. I also give myself breaks. I have learned over the years not to fight it. Having HSP is a gift and yet fighting something that is a part of my basic nature is a recipe for a very unhappy life.
Blessings!
Caprice
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