On one of my nightly Youtube binges, up late due to insomnia, as usual, I was watching video after video, sort of mindlessly, trying to find anything that might bore or lull me to sleep. Thankfully I found something, exactly what I was looking for, in fact: ASMR. Before I get into my journey with ASMR, let me explain to you what exactly it is.
ASMR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is that feeling you probably love without even knowing you love it. You know the tingles on the back of the neck you get when someone plays with your hair or the pleasant sensation you get when someone is doing your makeup or scratching your back? Maybe you get these sensations when you hear a repetitive noise, like rain on your roof, a fire crackling, or tapping on different surfaces.
That surge of "tingles" as the community labels it is you experiencing ASMR. These tingles induce a feeling of calm, relaxation, peace, and sometimes sleepiness. Many use these videos and different stimuli, or triggers, to help relieve pain associated with headaches, chronic pain disorders, and insomnia, amongst other things; many use it to relieve stress and anxiety. Well, that's what the ASMR Youtube community is for.
On the surface, the videos might seem weird, and there is definitely some videos out there for very specific tastes. The world itself of ASMR can be confusing and daunting if you have never been exposed to it, and you might be turned off to it if you come across a video that doesn't appeal to you.
Everyone has different "triggers," and some people have sounds that might really bother them. This is called Misophonia, and should not be confused with ASMR. When you hear a sound you really don't like, such as someone eating loudly, nails scratching on surfaces, utensils hitting and scraping plates, etc, then this is misophonia.
These sounds do not induce pleasurable tingles like ASMR does, so if you find that you don't like the sound of head scratching, tapping, water sounds, etc, then you know to avoid these videos. Below is a list of common triggers that people often enjoy and find relaxing:
1. Head/Ear scratching/massaging
2. Personal attention: face touching, makeup application, specific types of individually focused attention
3. Positive Affirmations
4. Liquid sounds
5. Eating (also a common Misophonia trigger, but can be nice for some)
6. Tapping on different surfaces or fabrics
7. Roleplays (see below)
8. Reading/Page Flipping
9. Whispers/soft voice sounds
10. Hand Movements
11. Mouth Sounds
12. And many, many more!
A lot of people are often turned off by the idea of "roleplays" which is when ASMR creators pretend to be in a certain setting, such as at a makeup counter, in a spa, or even in different shops and are acting out actions that can induce tingles in a way you would experience them in real life.
While these might seem initially awkward, many of them are made by the creators to help their viewers relax, sleep, or help them feel better after difficult or mentally taxing days. I have seen many people that use ASMR to help them with anxiety or depression and roleplays help them escape and feel cared for. If these videos aren't for you, that is okay! There are many videos that are just trigger focused, and somewhere the creators don't talk.
If you feel that there is nothing in the ASMR world for you, I promise, there is. Many creators will take requests, such as them playing video games, repeating certain sounds, or even playing cards or reading books or magazines to their viewers. ASMR, though, should not be confused with anything sexual.
Unfortunately, many viewers might find ASMR to be something sexual or erotic and will often request things from creators that they never said they would do. ASMR is more of a nurturing type of attention versus a sexual attention, and should not be confused with such.
So how has ASMR helped me? It basically cured my insomnia. I have had difficulty sleeping for years, either due to chronic pain, depression, anxiety, or stress. When I found ASMR, I found triggers that I had always loved, such as head scratching. Whenever someone scratches my head, I fall right asleep!
So when I found videos that simulate those sounds, they were so relaxing to me that I'd fall asleep within minutes, which is exactly what you should do. Whenever I have had a stressful day, I lay down, get my favorite headphones, and listen to my favorite videos. The sounds relax me enough or distract me so that I can sleep, calm down, or even focus better.
Sometimes when I am writing a paper or an article I will listen to certain videos and I find that I focus so much better and become much less stressed out: its a lot like when you listen to a coffee shop playlist or listen to rain or thunder sounds to help you study! ASMR is especially great to help those that are over stimulated, as putting on a pair of headphones and being exposed to one, gentle noise or voice can induce a deeply soothing effect.
Now that you have a background on what ASMR is and what to expect, I decided to compile a list of my favorite videos to help you get started watching if you are interested! I separated them by type or trigger, so if any of the above descriptions interest you, you might find something in this list.
Otherwise, do some searching on your own, and see what you find. Exploring is the greatest way to figure out what does and doesn't work for you, since everyone is different, and everyone has different triggers.
1. Personal Attention Videos/Trigger Videos
ASMRGlow, or Sharon, is one of my favorite ASMR artists. The time and dedication she puts into her videos really shows, and they are beautifully done, with relaxing backgrounds and crisp sounds. While her roleplays are my all time favorites and are definitely something you should check out, I have linked a "top 10" type of video to help you get an idea for what personal attention triggers you might like!
<span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker"> </span>2. Roleplays
The following are some of my favorite roleplay videos. They are on a bit of the more eccentric side, but if you like video games or the movie Howl's Moving Castle, you might enjoy these next two videos. The creators put a lot of effort into their work!
3. Simple Triggers
These are a bit more simple, but still just as nice. They are focused on more natural triggers, and some of the first triggers we come across when introduced to ASMR.
<span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker"> </span>And there you have it! Let me know if any of these videos worked for you, or if you are familiar to ASMR, leave your recommendations of other ASMRtists in the comments below! I hope this little list helped you relax a bit today.
