Simplifying Life - Mark II

Charis

ceridwen wrote: »

Just a quick thought - I guess you've already checked whether you hear this noise when you are elsewhere (ie some miles away) - to see for sure that it IS tinnitus - rather than "The Hum"??

Funny you should mention that. I looked on a tinnitus website the other day, where the sounds that sufferers hear are on a sound file, so I listened to them but none was really like what I hear. I can actually hear three distinct sounds, all of which sound just like the sounds described as 'The Hum'. Two are constant, like low notes playing all the time, the other sounds like a distant diesel engine pulsating. My son, who is young enough to hear a mosquito alarm, which is inaudible to me, says he can also hear the pulsating hum but not the other two. I just assumed they were tinnitus because my mum has it, so no surprise if I have. I also fall into the 'female over 50' group that is supposed to hear 'The Hum'. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck to read the site that describes it. http://homepages.tesco.net/~John.Dawes2/description.htm
It doesn't distress me, I just tune it out. After four kids you kind of tune out anything you don't want to hear :rotfl: I do have palpitations though, of unknown origin. All this has happened since I moved here, in line of site of a TV transmitter, four miles away. Might be coincidence, might not.

BTW how many thousands can hear it and put it down to ageing ears, or can't hear it because of noise pollution? Was it always there or is it a modern phenomenon? I'm off to read some more

spaghetti_monster

Hi there! :hello:

just thought I'd say hello as I was browsing through this thread and enjoying/agreeing with the ethos behind it all!

My "thing" is that I already have a quite simple life. But I can't help but wish it were more complicated sometimes - crazy as that might sound! I am quite good at tuning out most kinds of materialism: I sometimes wish I had more/nicer clothes, bigger/better house, a car, more money etc - (often with the influence of others/TV/etc). But in the end on these levels, I'm really happy exactly where I am.
My problem is more with work/career - and I'm beginning to see that this is the kind of materialism I'm susceptible to: the ambition, wanting status, to be accepted, to be perfect. So that's what I'm working on more.:rolleyes: :think:

I am really more of a "doing" person than a "being" person ; I think this has a lot to do with simplifying life.
For example today (I had a very busy day yesterday): I got a few things done, went to the gym and then felt really restless and guilty. I worked out that all I wanted to do was sit quietly, read, enjoy Sunday afternoon. But my brain was telling me about 101 other things that needed doing.
It's good to tell yourself sometimes that actually all these things don't need doing at once and you can just "be".
Sorry to ramble on and hope that makes sense!



Tinnitus is really not nice - I've come across quite a few people with the problem. One friend was (with professional help) able to psychologically tune out the sound.
One thing that bothers me sometimes (switch to grumpy old-bag mode) is how loud cinemas/ non-classical concerts/etc are. I think that people are generally accustomed to more and more noise/volume - and this will lead to hearing problems.

OK, rant and ramble over

Alex x

Aril

Hello virtual friends:j
And welcome Alex. Don't worry most of our are trying to simplify our lives- that doesn't mean we're all living simplified lives. As a Pagan I'm "supposed" to be able to sit and meditate....not me. I can't sit still for a minute...always have ants in my pants and a guilty conscience so am constantly driven to do something rather than just sit and chill. It means I achieve a lot but only relax if I put myself to bed like a baby for a nap [I call it a power nap:rotfl::rotfl:] Having said that my life is a lot more straightforward than it used to be. I have decluttered loads via family/friends/freecycle etc and have actually managed to reclutter at a much slower rate. However, I have not totally lost the love of acquiring bits that are new to me [mainly charity shop etc] but I'm no saint and probably never will. I have no need of the latest gizmos though and have never tried to keep up with those around me. My things either wear out or will become retro shortly:D Have also greatly improved the balance in my life...have set boundaries for a couple of friends who were displaying toxic tendencies [ie only taking] and mainly much improved there or no longer in contact and now try to make sure that I spend time with those who mean a great deal to me [both friends and family]
Simplifying guru I ain't but am making slow headway in improving the overall balance in my life largely in part to those who have shared their ideas and tips with me on this brilliant thread!
Aril

mardatha

You can meditate when looking at the birds, watching the clouds, the stars, you dont have to empty your mind. That only makes is harder, for me anyway.

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

Funny you should mention that. I looked on a tinnitus website the other day, where the sounds that sufferers hear are on a sound file, so I listened to them but none was really like what I hear. I can actually hear three distinct sounds, all of which sound just like the sounds described as 'The Hum'. Two are constant, like low notes playing all the time, the other sounds like a distant diesel engine pulsating. My son, who is young enough to hear a mosquito alarm, which is inaudible to me, says he can also hear the pulsating hum but not the other two. I just assumed they were tinnitus because my mum has it, so no surprise if I have. I also fall into the 'female over 50' group that is supposed to hear 'The Hum'. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck to read the site that describes it. http://homepages.tesco.net/~John.Dawes2/description.htm
It doesn't distress me, I just tune it out. After four kids you kind of tune out anything you don't want to hear :rotfl: I do have palpitations though, of unknown origin. All this has happened since I moved here, in line of site of a TV transmitter, four miles away. Might be coincidence, might not.

BTW how many thousands can hear it and put it down to ageing ears, or can't hear it because of noise pollution? Was it always there or is it a modern phenomenon? I'm off to read some more

I'm guessing it IS a modern phenomenon - when I heard it it felt to me like it was electrical in origin. I could hear it up to a radius of 4 miles away from where I was staying certainly (edit: just clicked "four miles" - thats how far away you say that TV transmitter is from you! Hmmmm....wonders....hmmm...remembers that I think I heard they will be transmitting stronger signals when we turn "digital"). If I were you - then I would take a long daytrip aways somewhere and stand and listen closely at intervals to see what I could or couldnt hear - or possibly a night at a cheap b & b miles from anywhere - to see if it was tinnitus (my body's fault) or "The Hum" (summat to do with Society) - so I would know whereabouts to make a start at dealing with it.

I'm not surprised that you have been thinking its "you" - I think its still very much the case that people can assume that if something is wrong - then its their "fault"/to do with them - well, the nicer people (like your good self) tend to. Hence why I queried whether you have established for sure that it IS tinnitus you are suffering from.

CravingSaving

mardatha wrote: »

You can meditate when looking at the birds, watching the clouds, the stars, you dont have to empty your mind. That only makes is harder, for me anyway.

My mind started empty, now trying to fill it with nice things!

Justamum

Charis wrote: »

So quiet you could hear a gnat's eyelash drop.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Justamum

ceridwen wrote: »

I've been in a place for some days before now where I could hear "The Hum" (which is just that - a constant low-level Hum). I dont think anyone has worked out for sure what causes it - but I guess modern technology is at the route of it somewheres - and that drove me "nuts" and I could really sympathise with people who have a combination of sensitive hearing and living somewhere where "The Hum" is audible.

I used to live right on the harbour and it used to drive me potty. At first I assumed it was someone's boat engine idling very far away, but as it went on all night every night it obviously wasn't!! Luckily since we moved away I've not been aware of it since even though we live in a quiet area.

LameWolf

Aril wrote: »

As a Pagan I'm "supposed" to be able to sit and meditate....

:hello: Hi Aril, I'm a Pagan as well; I know what you mean, on a "good" day, I tend to scrat about trying to do as much as possible - got to start learning to pace myself!

mary43

mardatha - I find it hard to 'empty my mind' in fact it's nigh on impossible. My brain is always full of something going on -but you're right about the birds and trees etc. Nothing better than sitting in the garden watching them...........in fact in the winter I can spend a lot of time looking at the birds out of the window, watching their antics at the bird feeder. Something very restful about observing the simple things in life.

Life is anything but simplified at the moment - phone call this morning from BIL -seems MIL is very poorly, blood pressure dropped again and hospital think she had a heart attack as well so OH is beside himself worrying. He toyed with the idea of driving up there but was in no real fit state. I wouldn't have allowed him to. So it's the old 'wait and see' again.................we're both very drained and as a result house is like pigsty -I've tried to lose myself in doing christmas bits for grandchildren (concentrate on the other end of the scale so to speak) and that has helped............also means I;m getting through some of my little christmas creations so housework might be on the back burner but christmas stuff isn't...............:o