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I had an anxiety attack right before my wedding: What it meant, what it didn't, and how to cope
In an attempt to stave off further anxiety, I decided to do what any good writer would do and research. I searched “I'm anxious before... Read more
ASMR (or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is something I have been experiencing my whole life but for which I never had a name. I guarantee some of you will see this phenomenon and it will be the revelation of your existence. Some of you will have no idea what it's all about. We're here for the former: those of us who totally know the power of the head tingles.
If you've ever had a pleasant tingly feeling from someone washing your hair or watching someone softly fold blankets or tap gently on a glass, you know the feeling of ASMR. A lot of us have embraced the community over on YouTube where ASMR is BIG business, including general tactile videos, role playing (not that kind), and “trigger” videos which trigger specific types of pleasant tingles.
Some of the most popular YouTube “ASMRtists” get millions upon millions of views. Most of those views are people like me who are using ASMR videos to fall asleep or just zen out when we're stressed. If you ever watched Bob Ross as a kid, you probably know how relaxing a soothing voice and gentle paint brush can be. Ahhhh.
Here's a primer from one of my favorite accounts, GentleWhispering, to get you started and learn what it's all about:
The point is that you're probably up to your ears in wedding planning, family drama, partner stress, and money woes, right? Maybe it's time to try out some ASMR to soothe your wearied mind. Here are a few more of my personal favorite accounts. But we're going to open it up to you in a second.
- GentleWhispering — the queen of ASMR. This one is life.
- ASMR Katie
- WhispersRed
- Albinwhisperland
- SOUNDsculptures
- MissBunnyWhispers
- ASMRtriggerhappy
- Ephemeral Rift
- TheWaterwhispers
- TrixiWhispers ASMR
- ASMRrequests
- Wise Woman Whispers
- Fucking BOB ROSS all episodes streaming on YouTube!
TIP: use headphones, especially when it says it's “binaural.”
Your turn to recommend!
What are YOUR favorite ASMR YouTube accounts to which to bliss out? Are you watching any of the ones we listed? Let us know in the comments.
About the Author: Catherine Clark
Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.
This is not a YouTube account but this is the site where I accidentally found my ASMR trigger. It’s great for white noise while you are working as well.
http://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/whiteNoiseGenerator.php
I love Gentle Whispering. Also love MassageASMR (Dmitri), Rhosgobel Rabbit, Heather Feather, ASMRequests (also) and a couple others. But I find if I watch too much I lose the tingles. I have to take a break for a couple days before I get them back.
I’m not saying this to be a hater, but I started watching that Gentle Whispering video recently and it made me feel horrible. Like, pulse racing, sick to my stomach, complete anxiety attack, and it didn’t go away for several minutes. I’m glad that people like these videos and that there are videos for them to enjoy! I’m just mentioning in case someone else has the same response I did, because it made me feel like there must be something wrong with me or, like, un-gentle about me.
I’m exactly the same. I happen to respond well to mixed sound environments like these, though. (A couple of those are meant to be scary, so read the descriptions before listening.)
I think that’s totally normal, and it depends on your trigger. My fiance has a thing about strangers touching him, and spa/grooming ASMR vids (like GentleWhispering) are bad juju for him. But his ASMR trigger is seeing and hearing paintbrush on canvas, so watching Bob Ross is his sweet spot. Maybe, for you, a different stimulation ASMR vid would give the desired response? There’s noise-specific ones, hand gesture-specific ones (not hands reaching toward your face), just straight whispering, etc.
Totally. Some people do have the opposite reaction.
I have an anxiety disorder, and ASMR is one of the most powerful tools in my toolbox! It cures insomnia, helps me calm my nerves, and is my second favorite way to unwind after a long day (a lovely adult beverage being the first). 😉
WhispersRedASMR is one of my go-to’s. I think she was actually interviewed on NPR once about ASMR (it could have been a diff show, I wasn’t really paying attention). I tend to like tapping and tingle baskets.
JellyBeanASMR and TheOneLillium are two of my lesser-known faves. I discovered ASMR several years ago and I’m glad it’s getting more attention lately.
MassageASMR by Dmitri and MassageClips by Lita are both my jams. Highly recommend.
Springbok ASMR is my favorite! GentleWhispering was my first ASMR experience, but I actually like Spring even better! She does awesome nerdy/gamer themed videos like narrated tours of her Fallout 4 settlements, Cylon Detector, Borderlands, Bioshock, and Papers Please roleplays, game reviews, even literary/rhetoric lessons! My geeky brain appreciates the topics just as much as the tingles! There are a few other lesser known accounts who have one or two videos I like, but I always go back to those two ladies…and Bob Ross! I watched him on PBS when I was little, so I get nostalgia and tingles!
Spring rocks!
You addressed some of my faves up there (WhispersRed, GentleWhispering). I’m a type-A introvert, but I’m also a performing musician and teacher for a living, so trying to balance my personality with the demands of my profession takes a lot out of me. I use ASMR vids for tingles and to help decompress and fall asleep.
ASMR Massage Psychetruth – extremely clear, sharp sounds, lots of ear vids
Olivia’s Kissmer ASMR – her hand movements give me eyegasms and she is one of my fave roleplayers
Caroline ASMR – great for pure sounds, ear vids and tapping
Cristen Noel – great tapping (check the cardboard cookie vids) and whispering
Thanks so much for this list o’ resources! My fiance and I are both ASMR-reactant (me to tapping, him to BOB FRIGGING ROSS), but we tend to forget to use it as a de-stress tool. And boy howdy, do I need some de-stressing. Brilliant timing.
I forget about it sometimes, too. But I find that’s good since I get a little immune if I watch too much. Then I remember again, and BAM. Back in the game. 🙂
I like gentlewhispering, asmrmassage, olivia kissper and cosmic tingles.
I discovered the ASMR about 2 years ago and before that I didn’t know there was a name for what I felt when I watched Bob Ross and Mister Rogers. I’m very particular about the triggers. It’s really all about the voice — which should be soft-spoken but not too whispery — and not many “extraneous” sounds ( really don’t like it when they tap their nails — kinda takes me out of it ). I watch some of the ASMR artists listed in this post but also:
WhispersUnicorn
EquineQT — this one is odd because something must have happened to her original channel, you can only find the older videos posted on other people’s channels.
Massage PsycheTruth (especially with Melissa LaMunyon )
OMG! Yes yes yes! This has been my “chill-pill” tool for years. I’m so glad I saw ASMR on one of my favourite blogs.
A word to those getting into this. You will find triggers you love and triggers that you hate. Don’t give up, try different types of videos (whispering, soft-spoken, sound-only, roleplays, etc), try different artists, heck try non-ASMR videos as well and find what works for you!
I personally love ASMRmania and UnicornWhispers.
I love a channel on YouTube called Peaceful Cuisine. He releases most of the recipes with and without music, the ones without are so relaxing! I love all the little chopping and stirring noises and it inspires me to get in kitchen.
I’m pretty sure it won’t be for everyone but I find cooking relaxing so cooking noises are relaxing too.