In today’s busy world, all of us are becoming increasingly aware of the effects stress can have on our minds and bodies. This is why finding new and innovative ways to overcome anxiety and to relax has never been more important.
Our advanced Widex Moment Sheer™ hearing aids can help you regain your inner peace with a great new world of relaxing sounds, called Widex SoundRelax. This unique feature is designed to help all hearing aid wearers – with or without tinnitus – deal with anxiety, soothe the mind and boost concentration.
SoundRelax is the proven solution for hearing aid wearers who are looking for sounds that help relaxation, well-being, and concentration. In a recent study, 20 participants with and without tinnitus rated the new sounds. They listened to each sound over headphones for at least 10 minutes and then rated them for how well they liked them and to what extent they supported relaxation, concentration and general well-being.
The results, illustrated in this figure, are striking: While not every hearing aid wearer likes every sound, the mean ratings of listeners' favorite sounds are around 9 out of 10, which is very high for something so personal as taste in tones and soundscapes. (The diamonds show the mean rating and the whiskers +/- 1 standard deviation.)
The term ‘fractal’ was first used by the mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot in 1975 and describes geometrical shapes that contain unfolding levels of detail as the viewer zooms in. Similar shapes can be found in nature including river forks, coastlines, mountain ridges, leaf veins, and clouds. SoundRelax and our Zen tinnitus treatment are based on fractal mathematics to generate changing, soothing tones and meditative chimes that become familiar but never repeat themselves and so relax the mind.
The use of meditative sounds and calm, relaxing music to relieve stress is well-known. It is believed to be effective at reducing stress because it stimulates many different parts of our brain. Music is commonly used at celebrations, sporting events, in shopping malls, movies and TV advertisements to evoke pleasant emotions. However, research has shown that recorded music can evoke memories and potentially unpleasant emotions. Fractal sounds prevent such unwanted distractions because they incorporate the properties of music that have been proven to be most relaxing without sudden changes in tonality or tempo. They repeat enough to sound familiar and follow appropriate musical rules but vary enough to not be predictable.
For more information about how Widex SoundRelax can help you relieve the stress of daily life contact your nearest hearing care professional using our quick and easy online Shop Finder. If you or a loved one might be living with untreated hearing loss, our free 5-minute online Hearing Test gives an initial indication.