Way back in October 2018 I suffered from insomnia for a short period. Insomnia brought on by anxiety. During this period I did many things to get through this ugly phase, including medication, meditation, Yoga, acupuncture, ASMR, and lifestyle changing/purging. ALL of these things helped. It was ASMR however, that intrigued me the most. Up until that point I had never even heard of ASMR.

For those of you who don’t know, ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. A very complex name for a very simple meaning …… or at least a simple result. ASMR is a way to use sensation (usually through sound, but can also be through touch) to create a feeling of calming, pleasure, and tingling. This sensation starts in/on a persons head, and then spreads down to the rest of the body. ASMR is traditionally administered through sounds. Quiet sounds. The most common sounds used for this are whispers, gentle brushing, tapping, scratching.

I received ASMR through YouTube videos. I would listen to these ASMR artists whisper, and make gentle sound effects with their hands, and it would just lull me to a relaxed state. In time I would fall asleep to them. In the calm and relaxed state leading up to sleep, a connection can be made with the artist. Albeit, the connection is one sided, but one who is susceptible to ASMR can’t deny that there is an intimacy there. Through this experience I learned one undeniable truth: When people are calm and relaxed, if you whisper to them, they are open to listening.

So I have decided to try my hand in ASMR. ASMR is a wonderful platform in which I can deliver my message of Minimalism. As it is, the simplicity of it lends itself to this lifestyle. There is nothing more value added, than making a connection with people. That, plus creating sensation makes for a wonderful experience; those of you who have read my posts before, know how I feel about sensation. I offer connection, sensation, positive affirmation, AND I will be giving my minimalist mantra’s during the videos I’ll be making.

The link to my first ASMR video on YouTube is HERE.

Or you can view the video below.

The best we can give someone, anyone, is ourselves, our time, our effort, and our company. We feel better when we give more of ourselves; we grow. We grow, and we influence growth in others.

With that being said I recommend that this holiday season we give more of ourselves to those we love.  Spend time with family and friends that we have not given much attention to in quite some time. Re-secure relationships that have gotten stale due to separation perhaps.

Furthermore, we should be giving more of our time and effort to those less fortunate than us. The poor, the hungry, the homeless, the neglected, the addicted, the disabled. THIS is what the spirit of the Holidays is really all about anyway, Isn’t it? Reaching out and making sure everyone has more joy, more hope, and maybe even a new beginning.

Likelihood is, there is a local  soup kitchen, coat drive, food drive, or some other  volunteer program of a similar variety in our community. I urge that we reach out to these and ask how we can help.  Lets not merely settle for making a donation of money or stuff, but instead donate our time and effort. This is how we make a difference. Not only in others, but in ourselves.

We should all be doing our part to make the world a kinder, better place.

This holiday season I challenge you to make a cheerful effort for gift giving, by gifting smart and from the heart:

• Give more of yourself and less material possessions.
• Gift in experiences.
• Avoid the corporate chains and online retailers (Amazon, Ebay, and such), and support local businesses. The best effort we can do is to support our community.
• Take calculated chances with the gifts you give. There is no fun or growth in staying safe. Mom doesn’t need another pair of socks,  just like the ones you got her last year. And if they don’t like your gift, it was worth a shot; they’re just grateful for the thought and effort anyway.
• Give a playful gift. One that all parties can enjoy right there during the holiday party.
• Gift something absurd, and completely ridiculous just for a laugh. How’s THAT for an experience?
• Don’t just make the family gathering an experience, make the gift shopping an experience too. Go into strange “mom and pops” stores you would normally never go into, with absolutely no plan of purchase at all. You might be surprised at what might catch your eye. This is where the “calculated risk” will likely come into play.

Make holiday shopping fun again, and don’t take it too seriously. Make it playful. This is a time for joy, and we don’t have to prove anything.