1. Tinnitus Activities THERAPY
Session 4
Concentration

2. Session Plan Factors affecting concentration
How tinnitus affects concentration
Strategies to improve concentration
Activities for home
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3. Factors affecting concentration
Key Concepts
Concentration is important.
Necessary to complete many tasks
Inability to concentrate results in frustration and stress
Good concentration will enable you to remember more
So let’s talk about what affects your concentration.
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4. Factors affecting concentration
Noise
Distractions
Lighting
Temperature
Environment
Hunger
Tiredness
Health Status
Physical State
Anxiety
Fear
Boredom
Emotional State
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5. Factors affecting concentration
Noise
Distractions
Lighting
Temperature
Environment
Hunger
Tiredness
Health Status
Physical State
Anxiety
Fear
Boredom
Emotional State
Which factors interfere with YOUR concentration?
How about you?
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6. Tinnitus and concentration
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7. Do any of these sound familiar?
I perform best when I focus on one thing at a time.
I can multi-task, but I’m less efficient.
When I focus attention on my tinnitus, it’s harder to concentrate on other things.
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8. Simple vs. Complex Tasks
You may notice the effects of your tinnitus on concentration more when engaged in simple vs. complex tasks.
Why?
Simple tasks may not be stimulating enough – tinnitus fills in the gaps
Complex tasks are more demanding – so tinnitus is less noticeable.
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9. Strategies to improve concentration
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10. Strategies to Consider
Eliminate distractions
Adjust work habits
Stay focused
Consider task difficulty
Decrease prominence of tinnitus
Take control of your attention
Key Concepts
We’re going to briefly touch on six strategies for concentration.
Ask: Which of these looks most interesting to you?
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11. 1. Eliminate distractions
Choose a comfortable environment
Eliminate unwanted noise
Avoid hunger and tiredness
Set aside time for worrying and daydreaming
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12. 2. Adjust work habits Work in shorter time spans Set a realistic pace
Take breaks as needed
Reward yourself for completing tasks
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13. 3. Stay focused Actively participate Take notes Ask questions
Repeat information
Organize important points
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14. 4. Consider task difficulty
Attempt to focus on a task for brief periods
Don’t restrict yourself to simple tasks
Try more challenging tasks
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15. 5. Decrease prominence of tinnitus
Utilize background sounds to mask tinnitus
Add pleasant sounds like music
Key Concepts
Remember what we've talk about…
Background sound
Fan, humidifier
Ambient noise machines
Pleasant sounds
CD player
Radio
Have you noticed how background sounds impact your concentration?
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16. 6. Take control of your attention
Practice switching attention from one stimulus to another (i.e. object, sensation, though, activity) to another at will
Practice refocusing your attention from your tinnitus to another stimuli, external or internal
Key Concepts
During our session on behavior and attention we touched on these ideas.
The focus of our attention is largely under voluntary control
You can learn to control the focus of your attention under various conditions
By bringing the focus of attention under control, tinnitus-related distress will be reduced at times
Let’s try it!
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17. Let’s Practice Visual attention switching: Focus on a nearby object
Study that object
Switch your attention to an object in the distance
Switch back and forth between the two several time
Notice: you can choose which item(s) you pay attention to while ignoring other things around you
Key Concepts
Near object may be: pencil, book, artifact they are wearing or in the room
Distance object may be: out the window, down the hall, etc.
As you practice together, make note of what works well and where adjustments can be made to maximize the strategy
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18. Let’s Practice Auditory attention switching:
Listen for a prominent sound around you
Now listen to a different sound in the room
Continue to try and focus on certain sounds while ignoring others
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19. Let’s Practice Sound and tinnitus exercises:
Pay attention to a sound in the room
Now switch your attention to listening to your tinnitus
Switch back to listening to the sound in the room and ignore your tinnitus
Practice paying attention to the other sounds while ignoring your tinnitus
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20. Let’s Practice Sound and reading exercise:
Read with a noise or music in the background
Focus on your reading
Now focus on the noise or the music
Switch your focus back to your reading
Continue to switch back and forth
Practice so you are able to pay attention to your reading while ignoring the noise or music
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21. Jane Doe Hearing Clinic. Chicago, IL
Activities for home
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22. Your Turn!
Keep track of which strategies you use and how they help you concentrate:
Utilize the 6 key strategies we talked about today
Experiment with background sound to make tinnitus less prominent
Practice our 4 attention control exercises
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23. Thank you for attending!
Questions?
Thank you for attending!
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24. Jane Doe Hearing Center
555 Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 01010
(555)
Monday-Friday
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Contact Us
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