ASMR: Autonomous sensory meridian response. A term that is used to describe an experience characterized by the feeling a tingling or static-type feeling across the skin. Can occur anywhere, but most commonly begins on the scalp, neck, or spine and can radiate throughout the body.
Okay, I’ll admit, listening to other people make noises, mess with slime or talk softly in order to relax freaked me out a little bit at first. It sounds super weird, right? When my roommate first introduced me to it, I was completely freaked out. But here I am months later, and I feel like I’m almost a different person than I was without it.
I first started listening to ASMR during the week of midterms fall semester. My dorm was super loud, I was super stressed (as many college students are,) and my anxiety was through the roof. Usually I would just stick my earbuds in and listen to music, but I started getting distracted by it and found myself singing out loud, disturbing my roommate. So, I took a chance and went on YouTube to find an ASMR video, and ever since I’ve been hooked. I really can’t fall asleep at night anymore without ASMR playing in the background through my headphones. I’ve noticed a complete change in my academic performance overall, as well as my ability to cope with/ handle stressful situations/events.
ASMR is really similar to white noise, and there are multiple different “triggers” such as: tapping, role plays, get ready with me, makeup, slime, whispering, etc.
Here are a few things ASMR has done for me personally:
- Helped me concentrate/be more productive,
- Knocked me out better than ANY sleep aid ever,
- Reduced my anxiety tenfold,
- Helped to block out loud settings (residence halls specifically)
Some of my personal favorite ASMRists for your listening pleasure: ASMR Glow, Gibi ASMR, Whispers Red ASMR, Tena ASMR, ASMR Darling
While ASMR may seem completely bizarre, I wholeheartedly recommend it to ANYONE that’s struggling to focus, has anxiety or trouble sleeping, or who just wants to try something new!