Stressed Out? Get the Bob Ross Effect

I know a lot of people have struggled emotionally in the pandemic. Many struggle silently because they don’t or can’t talk about their feelings. Maybe they don’t feel free to unburden themselves.

I guess what prompted this post was binge-watching some Bob Ross videos on The Joy of Painting. Quite a leap, huh?

Actually, not so much. Darling Hubby and I started  watching because he wants to start painting. His mother was an artist, and he’s always thought about it but didn’t know where or how to start.

I began giving him artist supplies a couple of years ago. He’s done nothing with them. So I remembered Bob Ross from PBS when I was young. I went to YouTube to see if maybe there were some videos featuring the artist.

We found his channel and started watching. We were spellbound. Curiously, we found watching the videos and listening to his quiet, encouraging voice made us feel…different. Relaxed. Calm. Not frazzled by the day’s frustrations. It was weird!

I Discovered What Millions Know

I was interested in the effect his videos had on us so I did some research. It turns out that millions tuned into the Bob Ross Channel on YouTube once the pandemic got under way.  He had that same calming, de-stressing, relaxing effect on everyone!

For the last six years, the late artist’s fame and demeanor have won him millions of fans all over the world, and that increased exponentially with the pandemic.

I discovered that scientists have studied this phenomenon. 

Apparently, the sound of his whispery soft voice and his optimistic commentary made him an accidental pioneer of ASMR which is Autononomous Sensory Meridian Response.

This term describes the physical and mental sensation of becoming calm, relaxed, and stress-free that many claim to experience. You can learn more about it on this ASMR Wiki. Or you can just do a Google search for Bob Ross.

Some people are even going to sleep to his videos because of the relaxation effect.

 Takeaway Truth

If you’re emotionally wrung out and stressed, why not give this a try? Tune in to his YouTube channel even if you have no inclination to get an easel, paints, and brushes. Let me know how it makes you feel!

Joan Reeves aka SlingWords: The Word Slinging Adventures of Joan Reeves