I'm coming out...
No, I’m not a lesbian. I am straight. I am coming out about something more personal to me. I, Jennifer Humston, have pretty bad anxiety and I am great at covering it up. I've hinted around in some of my other blogs, but this is the real deal now. I've helped other people deal with stress, anxiety, and depression before and I am very open when people ask about my semicolon tattoo. So this is not necessarily something I am hiding. Just something I want to clear the air with and help others who are finding it hard to cope.
Some people down their sorrows in alcohol, some in drugs, some tragically end their life. In this blog, I am going to share some of the things I do to cope with a hard life. ASMR, tea, coloring, and newly…MONQ.
ASMR: Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a euphoric experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine, precipitating relaxation. It has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia. It is kinda weird, I’m not gonna lie. You’ll have to watch a video on youtube to see if you get it. Now, don’t call me weird for watching this stuff because it is relaxing. Relaxing in a way I don’t quite understand. I discovered ASMR about 4 years ago. I was studying for anatomy and physiology while I had headphones in. I was looking up a video on cranial nerves and the next thing I know…I was asleep on my bed. So the next day, I decided to look more into what in the hell made me fall asleep so quickly. I found out it was ASMR. I decided to search for calming videos then found WhisperCrystal. Then discovered WhisperFlower. Then I discovered GentleWhispering. AKA…Maria. I began to relax when watching these videos and found myself having pleasant tingly sensations. I was completely unaware of why it was happening…
When watching the videos I found that these wonderful artists were also keeping me company in some way but safe in my own home. I am happy I discovered the ASMR community and I began to understand what ASMR is. Although life continued to be difficult, scary and upsetting I felt that the ASMR community was my escape. At some point I wished I could be part of it and help others and make videos, but I’m not a quite relaxing person.
When I was little, and still to this day, I deal with stress by sleeping. At first glance, sleep might seem like quintessential avoidance, like burying your head in the pillow is no better than burying your head in the sand. But I don’t feel as though I am not helping myself. After all, going to sleep isn’t like turning the lights off; the truth is that there’s a lot still going on while your eyes are closed. While we might be able to temporarily stave the flow of conflict by falling asleep, we’re not really escaping anything.
The science of ASMR and sleep on is still in its infancy, and it remains unclear exactly what’s going on at a chemical level here, but there does seem to be some connection to stress reduction. In the meantime, sleep doesn’t seem too bad. The problem may still be there when you awake, but you’ll have a better understanding of it, and hopefully, a clear slate to handle it. Or at least, I do.
Tea: I just love tea. Anything and everything about it. It is soothing and calming. Idk if this works more many others to get them to calm down and relax, but it does with me. I think drinking tea is more for the flashbacks I get. As many of my long term readers know, I was very close to my Granny. We use to do puzzles and drink peach tea all the time when I was growing up. Being around my Granny was my safe zone. She was always there for me, I spent the weekends with her, and she always showed me unconditional love. I would much rather spend time with her than any other person on this whole planet when she was alive.
Now, I drink all sorts of tea. Green Tea, matcha, passion tea, peach tea. Teavana; my favorite store in the history of anything.
Coloring: Within the past two weeks, I started coloring in those weird looking adult coloring books. I got one at the Dollar Tree because I needed something to do while working at a desk for a long time. So I got a paisley book. (mostly because I love VB paisley prints. FOTD: Paisley print from VB was my first VB purse.) Anywho, I noticed it made time go by fast when I was coloring and I was calm while doing it. I started looking more into art therapy when I was younger, so it all makes sense why coloring is good for the soul. Art may not be able to cure disease, but it can surely make coping with it a lot better. Researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and today, art therapy is used to help people express themselves when what they’re feeling is too difficult to put into words. I relate to coloring because you have to look at the shape and size, you have to look at the edges, and you have to pick a color. If what I remember from A&P is correct, it should occupy the same parts of the brain that stops any anxiety-related mental imagery happening as well. Anything that helps you control your attention is going to help when dealing with stress and anxiety.
MONQ: Just the other day, I had an anxiety attack so bad that it had me shaking. I was watching an ASMR video when I saw MONQ. MONQ is an aromatherapy inhaler. I use "Zen MONQ." It is suppose to lower stress levels, and I do feel calmer after I use it. All you do is simply breathe MONQ to enhance your mood with blended and heated aromatherapy. It is organic and natural which is the best part. MONQ does what it says it will do. The Zen MONQ calms me down and puts me in a nice relaxed zone. Great for those with anxiety issues. I highly recommend.
Life is unpredictable and we are all faced with challenges but how we cope is the most important part.
ASMR: Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a euphoric experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine, precipitating relaxation. It has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia. It is kinda weird, I’m not gonna lie. You’ll have to watch a video on youtube to see if you get it. Now, don’t call me weird for watching this stuff because it is relaxing. Relaxing in a way I don’t quite understand. I discovered ASMR about 4 years ago. I was studying for anatomy and physiology while I had headphones in. I was looking up a video on cranial nerves and the next thing I know…I was asleep on my bed. So the next day, I decided to look more into what in the hell made me fall asleep so quickly. I found out it was ASMR. I decided to search for calming videos then found WhisperCrystal. Then discovered WhisperFlower. Then I discovered GentleWhispering. AKA…Maria. I began to relax when watching these videos and found myself having pleasant tingly sensations. I was completely unaware of why it was happening…
When watching the videos I found that these wonderful artists were also keeping me company in some way but safe in my own home. I am happy I discovered the ASMR community and I began to understand what ASMR is. Although life continued to be difficult, scary and upsetting I felt that the ASMR community was my escape. At some point I wished I could be part of it and help others and make videos, but I’m not a quite relaxing person.
When I was little, and still to this day, I deal with stress by sleeping. At first glance, sleep might seem like quintessential avoidance, like burying your head in the pillow is no better than burying your head in the sand. But I don’t feel as though I am not helping myself. After all, going to sleep isn’t like turning the lights off; the truth is that there’s a lot still going on while your eyes are closed. While we might be able to temporarily stave the flow of conflict by falling asleep, we’re not really escaping anything.
The science of ASMR and sleep on is still in its infancy, and it remains unclear exactly what’s going on at a chemical level here, but there does seem to be some connection to stress reduction. In the meantime, sleep doesn’t seem too bad. The problem may still be there when you awake, but you’ll have a better understanding of it, and hopefully, a clear slate to handle it. Or at least, I do.
Tea: I just love tea. Anything and everything about it. It is soothing and calming. Idk if this works more many others to get them to calm down and relax, but it does with me. I think drinking tea is more for the flashbacks I get. As many of my long term readers know, I was very close to my Granny. We use to do puzzles and drink peach tea all the time when I was growing up. Being around my Granny was my safe zone. She was always there for me, I spent the weekends with her, and she always showed me unconditional love. I would much rather spend time with her than any other person on this whole planet when she was alive.
Now, I drink all sorts of tea. Green Tea, matcha, passion tea, peach tea. Teavana; my favorite store in the history of anything.
Coloring: Within the past two weeks, I started coloring in those weird looking adult coloring books. I got one at the Dollar Tree because I needed something to do while working at a desk for a long time. So I got a paisley book. (mostly because I love VB paisley prints. FOTD: Paisley print from VB was my first VB purse.) Anywho, I noticed it made time go by fast when I was coloring and I was calm while doing it. I started looking more into art therapy when I was younger, so it all makes sense why coloring is good for the soul. Art may not be able to cure disease, but it can surely make coping with it a lot better. Researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and today, art therapy is used to help people express themselves when what they’re feeling is too difficult to put into words. I relate to coloring because you have to look at the shape and size, you have to look at the edges, and you have to pick a color. If what I remember from A&P is correct, it should occupy the same parts of the brain that stops any anxiety-related mental imagery happening as well. Anything that helps you control your attention is going to help when dealing with stress and anxiety.
MONQ: Just the other day, I had an anxiety attack so bad that it had me shaking. I was watching an ASMR video when I saw MONQ. MONQ is an aromatherapy inhaler. I use "Zen MONQ." It is suppose to lower stress levels, and I do feel calmer after I use it. All you do is simply breathe MONQ to enhance your mood with blended and heated aromatherapy. It is organic and natural which is the best part. MONQ does what it says it will do. The Zen MONQ calms me down and puts me in a nice relaxed zone. Great for those with anxiety issues. I highly recommend.
Life is unpredictable and we are all faced with challenges but how we cope is the most important part.
Comments