“Why your personal soundscape matters,” a new Akoio Guide for hearing health

Managing sound can help you think better, reduce stress and anxiety, and generally enhance quality of life. Taking control of what you hear and what you don’t — your soundscape — changes everything.

NEW YORK (PRWEB)
March 03, 2022

Akoio, a hearing wellness company, announced a new publication aimed at helping readers improve their overall health and wellness by actively managing their “personal soundscapes.” According to the new publication, “Managing sound can help you think better, reduce stress and anxiety, and generally enhance quality of life.”

Cited research demonstrates that our auditory systems are actively monitoring the sounds around us — our personal soundscapes — at home, at work, at play, and even when we’re asleep. Additional research shows that “positive sounds” can help improve focus, calm anxiety, and enhance sleep, while “noise” (or “negative sounds”) can cause mental distress, high blood pressure, heart disease, and hearing loss. So, the guide argues, “Taking control of what you hear and what you don’t — your soundscape — changes everything.”

The new guide includes a soundscape journal. Users are instructed to observe and record sources of sound and noise from their everyday environments over the course of a week, and document how those sounds affect their mental and physical state. People are encouraged to pay particular attention to “background noise” that is easily overlooked but may have a significant impact on mood and well being. The list of sounds to monitor and document could include traffic, appliances, neighbors, office, music, and natural environmental sounds. With data in hand, users can investigate ideas for optimizing their personal soundscapes. Suggestions include acoustic paneling, adaptive earbuds, white noise generators, sound therapy tools, and more.

The latest publication, entitled “Why your personal soundscape matters,” is part of a series of Akoio Guides published and updated annually to coincide with World Hearing Day (March 3). “We applaud the WHO for regularly highlighting the importance of hearing and listening as part of our overall health and wellness,” said Bill Schiffmiller, President and CEO of Akoio, LLC.

The previous series (Healthy Conversations about Hearing Loss, first published 2020) includes talking points for discussing hearing loss with family members, including older parents and younger teens experiencing hearing loss for the first time. One guide includes specific “Questions to Ask Your Audiologist” to help readers find a hearing healthcare practitioner that fits their unique situation.

Akoio Guides are free to use and publicly available on akoio.com. “It is our purpose, and our passion, to help others understand that managing personal soundscapes can literally change your life,” said Schiffmiller. “We hope our Akoio Guides will help educate and encourage readers as they protect their hearing and improve their soundscapes on the way to healthier living and stronger relationships.”

ABOUT AKOIO

Akoio, LLC was founded by Bill Schiffmiller, a life-long hearing aid user and hearing wellness advocate who understands firsthand the impact of hearing, sound, and noise on overall health and wellness. A former Accessibility Advocate for Apple Inc., Bill infuses Akoio with his passion for researching, discovering, and promoting better ways to protect hearing and optimize soundscapes so that people can live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilling lives.

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