I started wearing ear muffs/plugs a couple of years after I started playing in bands. Almost 2 decades later and I never go to a concert or play live without hearing protection. If I somehow forget to bring them, I grab a table napkin and fold it into makeshift earplugs. As a musician, I’m deathly afraid of losing my hearing.

If you listen to music outside, invest in noise-cancelling headphones/earphones so you don’t inadvertently turn the volume up too much just to hear it. Also, try to get used to listening at a lower volume at home. I did this by setting the volume to what I was used to, then turned it down one notch. I eventually got used to it and now I listen at a lower volume than I would’ve normally done.