It’s 2019 and relaxing is near impossible. There’s debt, soul-crushing jobs that we hate, and that one jerk who wakes up at 4am to mow his lawn. How the hell is anyone supposed to relax in this day and age?
For me, the answer used to be video games. After a gruelling day of being a child and feeling the pressure of society on my little shoulders, the thought of getting home and playing a few hours of Final Fantasy X always used to make me feel cheerful. But as an adult, video games don’t always make the cut when it comes to relaxation.
Recently, though, I was introduced to ASMR, or to be more accurate, video game ASMR. For those who, like me, got into this stuff five years too late, ASMR stands for ‘autonomous sensory meridian response’. It helps you relax and gives your scalp and your spine a tingling sensation through the use of sensory stimuli, such as the whispering of voices, tearing of paper, gentle tapping on objects and a lot more.
I’d only become interested in the practice after I asked a friend about help on getting better sleep. I, like pretty much everyone else in the world, often spend most of my nights worrying over things that haven’t even happened yet. Anxiety, depression… It’s a volatile mix. An unforgiving one. So, frankly I was sceptical when she told me ASMR would help calm those thoughts down so I could get some sleep. I’d been interested in the practice sure, but it didn’t seem possible that a few tingles could get me to sleep.
It only took a day or two for me to start using ASMR on a regular basis. Which led to me stumbling upon something entirely new: video game ASMR.
To some it may sound far-fetched or even a little strange, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued by it. After all, video games are what we go to in order to lose ourselves in weird, wonderful worlds where we can feel like a hero. With video game cosplay ASMR, relaxation and roleplay become intertwined in a way that not only relaxes the mind, but can also be seen as a form of entertainment.