Week 3 of 6 · Out of the house
Add varied environments
Quiet supermarkets, cafés at off-peak times, and short walks on residential streets give you something the home cannot — varied, unpredictable sound at moderate levels. That variability is what teaches the nervous system to recalibrate.
Ladder target
Level 18
Move to week-3 ladder level
DailyStep up the LadderPlayer to the week-3 setting. Notice that the level is still quiet — about the volume of a fridge in a kitchen.
Do today: 45 minutes a day at week-3 level.
One quiet outing a day
DailyA walk in a residential street. A supermarket at 10am. A café at off-peak. Twenty minutes is enough. Do not wear ear protection.
Do today: One short outing, no plugs.
Notice the recovery curve
DailyAfter each outing, write down two numbers: how loud the world felt on a scale of zero to ten, and how long it took to feel normal again afterwards. Both numbers usually drop across the week — that is the data point you are looking for.
Do today: Two-number log after each outing.
If an outing produces pain that lasts more than two hours, lower the duration next time, not the level of ambition. Recovery curves get shorter with practice.