I don’t like the rat race!
All we do is rush from one commitment to another, barely able to take a breath in between. We rush out the door to go to work in the morning, and then rush back home at the end of the day, just to do more work.
Sometimes I find it hard to slow down because there’s so much to do.
If you work full time like I do, you will understand. Most of my days are filled with a heavy workload that never seems to end. Then, when I get home, I have piles of laundry that needs to be folded, and a leaning tower of dishes in the sink.
I think everyone is like that to some degree. The modern-day world demands us to spin out of control just to survive these days. If it’s not rush hour traffic, it’s shuttling kids to different events after school, or other commitments that demand our time.
The busyness is killing us.
It doesn’t matter if you are a stay-at-home mom, or a corporate executive. The work load is too heavy for the average person these days.
Life used to be simpler. Sunday used to be a day of rest. Families used to eat together at the table instead of playing video games or staring at their smart phones.
Companies are open 24-7 just to keep up with demand. Statutory holidays used to mean that major department stores closed. But now, you can’t even rely on that.
And if you work retail, you never get a break because stores are open everyday now.
Because of the incredible busyness nowadays, people are finding it harder and harder to relax. Stress is a growing danger in our society, and we need to do something about it.
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time relaxing after a long busy day of work. My sleeping patterns are not what they used to be.
So, what can be done about this?
How can we learn to relax in a busy world with a million things buzzing around us?
That’s what ASMR is all about.
Let’s explore it!
DEFINITION
Firstly, let’s define ASMR.
ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. Autonomous means independent. Sensory means your physical senses like touch and smell. Meridian means an imaginary line that helps describe a position or place. Response is a reaction to something.
So, what does that mean?
I don’t know about you, but I still don’t know what ASMR really means. Is it maybe a fancy term for a strange sensory phenomenon?
That is exactly right.
The term ASMR was first coined by Jennifer Allen around 2010 when it became a thing. She wanted to give this sensory response an official sounding word. Thus, ASMR was born.
But how exactly does it help us?
HOW TO USE IT
If you search ASMR on YouTube, you’ll find thousands of weird videos with people tapping and whispering.
You can find many videos recording common sounds that we take for granted every day. These sounds may be rain hitting the pavement. It may be a brush scraping the scalp. In may be rain falling during a thunderstorm.
There are all sorts of ASMR YouTube videos with strange sounds that would otherwise be considered just a normal sound.
So, how exactly does it work?
AUDIO-VISUAL STIMULI
The premise behind ASMR is to create a tingling sensation up and down your spine. This tingling sensation triggers at pleasurable feeling that calms people down.
In a world spinning out of control, one tiny little droplet of rain on a quiet night has the ability to relax nerves that have been on edge all day.
Listening to crickets, seagulls, or nature sounds, can bring you back to a simpler way of life. I know it does this for me. Sounds trigger memories, and as a child I remember when things were simpler.
If I can get that back, it would be worth its weight in gold.
If I can listen to something that will remind me of when life wasn’t so busy, I will automatically relax. That’s what ASMR is all about.
It’s a meditation tool.
CONCENTRATION
I’m a writer, and when I write I have a hard time relaxing and focusing. My concentration level goes out the window when my neighbor starts up his bobcat, scraping the ground.
That’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. The beep-beep-beep sound as he backs up is a distraction to my creativity.
When I hear someone mowing the lawn just as i sit down to write, I want to scream. Stress starts to build and I can’t concentrate on my writing at all.
When this happens, I turn to ASMR YouTube videos. I love the calming sounds of rain. I love to listen to thunderstorms. I could listen to them all day long.
Why?
Because listening to that sound brings me back to a quieter time. It brings me back to when I was a child laying in my bed listening to the rain hit the roof of my mobile home. It was metal and made the most beautiful sound.
That immediately calms me down.
That makes me focus on my writing. It sends tingles down my spine allowing me to relax, placing me in a state of meditation. I can meditate on my writing to produce quality work when I listen to these sounds.
It’s a weird way to meditate, but it’s the most calming thing in the world. It brings your mind back to a time when things weren’t so busy. It brings your mind back to a time when life was simple and serene.
Just listen to a horse and buggy clicking along a quiet street. Remember how things used to be? Remember when you didn’t have to worry about rush hour traffic?
Ambient Noise is the best way to relax, whether that be the sound of a fan in your bedroom as you sleep, or the sound of children playing on a beach as the tide comes in.
That’s serenity. That’s what ASMR gives you!
WHO WILL FIND IT MOST USEFUL?
Anyone can find ASMR useful. You don’t have to be a so-called weirdo to listen to ASMR sounds on YouTube.
A stressed-out stay-at-home mom can learn to relax as her children sleep, by listening to sounds of ocean waves or seagulls in the distance. All she has to do is click on an ASMR YouTube video, put air buds in, and close her eyes as she really relaxes for the first time in a long time.
Now that’s therapy!
And the best thing about it is it’s totally free!
To go to a quality ASMR channel on YouTube, click on Sounds and Whispers.
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Author Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and YouTuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world.