ASMR

We all have difficult things that we have to deal with in our lives sometimes; big or small. It could be the normal stresses of everyday life or the anxieties of big events to come, either way, it can affect us and cause us to need a little time to sit back and relax. 

I try to be as positive a person as I can - but nonetheless, I am a worrier at heart and I always will be. I worry about anything and everything and with that, my mind is busiest when it should be at its calmest - this is typically at night when I'm trying to go to sleep. So, in this post I wanted to talk about something that I have recently come across that has truly helped me and become a necessary part of my daily life to help me relax.

Photo Source: Unsplash.com

This "thing" is called ASMR and you may have heard of it. I have recently discovered the phenomena which has taken quite the storm on Youtube. It stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and is characterised as "tingly" sensations that can be triggered on and within the body from various triggers that can be both visual, auditory or cognitive. Sounds pretty weird, right? And it kind of is, but for me, it works.

To break it down, various people (referred to as ASMRtists) make all sorts of videos that utilise these common triggers and they are often accompanied by soft whispering or soft spoken dialogue. As this is generally intended for relaxation, the sounds are gentle and low in volume - they are just loud enough for you to hear but not so much so that they are distracting and overpowering. 

Some of these "triggers" as mentioned before, stir up a strange tingling sensation in some people and with others, they are just relaxing and nice to listen to or to look at. Common triggers include soft tapping and scratching, ear to ear whispering and crackling sounds. There are also role play videos to be found using these triggers and the ASMR style as often, people first discover that they are triggered by certain sounds in every day life. For instance, have you ever been in a normal situation in which there was something that especially relaxed you? The sound of someones voice, the tapping sound of a keyboard, the crinkling of a wrapper maybe? If so, these are all examples of what is now termed ASMR. 

Anyway, ASMR has really helped me to relax and many others have said it does the same for them. ASMR is widely used by people to help them relax, send them off to sleep and help them deal with issues such as stress, depression and anxiety. If you think ASMR vides might be something you'd be interested in, here are some of my favourite channels:

GentleWhispering

Olivia's Kissper ASMR

WhispersUnicorn

Fairy Char ASMR

It might not be for you, but I'd definitely give it a shot - it may surprise you!