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Watching ASMR Videos Can Reduce Anxiety, Study Says

Study Confirms Watching ASMR Videos Can Reduce Anxiety

According to a new study published in "PLOS One," ASMR videos could help alleviate anxiety. ASMR, which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, is the whole-body sensation some people experience when they hear certain trigger sounds, such as a person whispering, paper crinkling, seltzer bubbles fizzing, or scoring sourdough. ASMR is described as an intensely pleasant tingling sensation travelling down the spine from the scalp or neck, or as a feeling of full-body relaxation. It can even be sleep inducing.

Of course, everyone reacts to these sounds differently, and not all people experience ASMR. For some, sounds like nails tapping on a countertop or ice clinking in a glass can be irritating. Some people only experience ASMR with specific sounds, such as a makeup brush on a microphone, a page turning, or someone writing with a pencil on paper.

Of the 64 participants in the study, 36 were categorized as "ASMR experiencers" — meaning they'd experienced had the calm, tingly sensation before the study — and 28 were categorized as "ASMR non-experiencers." Both groups watched this five-minute ASMR video, which includes a wide range of ASMR triggers — such as tapping, scratching, makeup-applying — presented one after another. The ASMR experiencers reported "significantly" reduced anxiety after watching the video.

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The study, while fairly small, found that "ASMR has the potential to be both effective and suitable as a clinically relevant anxiety treatment" — so it can't hurt to try! Here are the best ASMR YouTube channels and ASMR TikTok trends for your zodiac sign. See if they help reduce your stress and anxiety.

Image Source: Getty / d3sign

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