College is a stressful time. Studying for vigorous classes, applying for competitive internships, and the impending future have all been on my mind these past couple of weeks. Needless to say, it has not been a fun time.
When most people need to destress from the intensity of college, they typically engross themselves in a good book, play video games or watch the latest show on Netflix. As someone with a bad attention span and who isn’t too interested in media outside of music, the usual ways to destress aren’t that helpful to me.
What is helpful to me, though, is ASMR.
For those of you who don’t know, ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a sensation people experience when exposed to relaxing stimuli triggers. These triggers are either visual or auditory; some of the most common are whispering or speaking softly, tapping on surfaces such as wood, hair brushing, and personal attention.
People experience ASMR in their day-to-day lives, but the best place to receive tingles wherever and whenever is via YouTube. There are hundreds of ASMRtists on the video-sharing platform. Each one has their own style and way of providing viewers with relaxation; so if you don’t like one AMSRists style, you can easily search for a different one.
Since I like so many different types of ASMR, I thought I’d put together a little list of some of the ASMRtists I like listening to and watching when I need to destress. Here are my top 3:
- Goodnight Moon
-
If you’re someone who is into fairytales, Goodnight Moon is the ASMR channel for you. Her most popular video series is Babblebrook, a whimsical realm with witches, mermaids, magic and more. In each video, Goodnight Moon portrays a mystical individual who introduces the viewer to a different part of Babblebrook. This series is my absolute favorite, and the effort Goodnight Moon puts into them is amazing. It makes you feel as though you’re right there in Babblebrook!
- Gibi ASMR
-
One of the most well-known ASMRtists on the platform, Gibi ASMR has all sorts of content on her channel. Her most popular types of videos are roleplays. She’s taken the role of all sorts of doctors (such as a cranial nerve specialist), a tattoo artist and even a flight attendant. The most popular roleplay character on her channel, though, is her original character Daisy, a southerner who partakes in a series of odd jobs.
- Latte ASMR
-
Latte ASMR is the first channel I go to when I need visual stimuli. The amount of care and detail she puts into her videos is simply amazing; you can definitely tell she loves her work. Besides the beautiful visuals Latte ASMR puts into her videos, I also love how gentle and kind she is. Her voice is so comforting and every video of hers makes me feel safe and welcomed. If you’re a visual person, I’d definitely recommend Latte ASMR. Her videos are the best.
ASMR might seem strange at first, but it’s easy to understand the hype once you immerse yourself in the world. If you’re having difficulty destressing after a long day at college, I’d definitely recommend giving ASMR a try. You might fall in love with it!