Four sounds I’m not looking forward to as we return to normal
On this, the first anniversary of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK (23 March 2020), I remember how shockingly quiet the world became when we all stopped going out.…
Why Rest Needs to Become Socially Acceptable
“Where’s Karen?”“Oh, she’s in bed, again!” Familiar words, often uttered by my family, and normally with a tone of disapproval. Well, I’m here to tell you why my approach to…
Why we need to listen more
Five years ago, my tinnitus started. Silence was a thing of the past. Then over the last few years, I become more and more sensitive to and annoyed by noise.…
Why being alone doesn’t have to mean being lonely
We all need some alone time, but it doesn’t mean we’re lonely. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went on their moon jolly, Michael Collins remained in the command module…
Stop chewing so loudly – Living with Misophonia
“Crunch, crunch, munch.”Deep breathe in. It’s not their fault they’re eating like a monkey that hasn’t been fed for a week.“Crunch, crunch, MUNCH.”Oh, for fuck’s sake will you just shut…
Finding joy in solitude
Growing up in a small house with a big family, there was always someone trying to claim a right to a chunk of space to call their own. As the…
Searching for silence. An impossible task?
Whizz. Bark. Buzz. Whizz. Bark. Buzz. Despite many reports saying cities and urban areas became quieter during lockdown, it seems that my little street decided to buck the trend. Pretty…
Swimming in silence
Last week the tinnitus community came together to raise awareness through Tinnitus Week and #ThisIsMySilence, and what a heart warming and breaking week it was. Stories of acceptance and acclimatisation…
Hush! 