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Achieving Zen-like Serenity with Car Repair

Updated: Oct 30



Mechanic remaining clam during repairs.
Being the Repair

Achieve Zen-like serenity with car repairs by discovering ASMR while observing a master mechanic perform a complete 4-wheel brake job and brake hose replacement on a 2005 Honda Element.


Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response


Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a pleasurable mental and physiologic response associated with triggering sounds such as whispering, tapping sounds, brushing sounds, and slow hand movements.


Those who experience ASMR typically describe it as a tingling sensation in response to certain auditory or visual stimuli that often start at the back of the head, travel down the spine, and sometimes extend to other parts of the body. Its popularity has grown over recent years, primarily on the internet, where creators produce ASMR content through videos or audio recordings.


Common ASMR triggers include:


1. Whispering: Soft-spoken or whispered voices can trigger ASMR in some individuals.

2. Tapping: Tapping on objects or surfaces can create soothing sounds that induce ASMR.

3. Crinkling: The sound of crinkling paper, plastic, or other materials can be relaxing for some people.

4. Personal attention: Roleplays where the ASMR creator pretends to provide personal attention, such as a spa visit or a medical examination, are common.

5. Eating sounds: Some people enjoy ASMR content that involves eating or drinking, focusing on the sounds produced during these activities.

6. Brushing or scratching: Visual and auditory triggers, such as brushing or scratching a microphone or other objects, can induce ASMR.


Please Note: Those same triggers can also evoke annoyance and hostility―so, go figure.

That said, the experience of ASMR is highly individual, and only some have experienced it. However, the number of ASMR users has grown so much that it has become a popular niche in online content creation, with millions of people seeking out ASMR videos for relaxation and entertainment.


ASMR and Car Repair


While the whole ASMR thing might seem a little too hippy-dippy for a mechanic, its merits appear somewhat truthful.


A good example is the ASMR video from Eric the Car Guy's YouTube channel, which turns a brake job into a relaxation video. The added value of the video is that while watching the demonstration, it also provides some useful learning on car repair and what a mechanic does when giving your car a brake job the way it should be done.


I tried the video myself and found it to be―if not at least relaxing―a good motivator for those days when it was hard to get my butt into the garage and on the truck project. Plus, watching another mechanic's style is an excellent way to pick up tips on better ways of doing things without listening to dialog or lecturing.

For more about ASMR and the video, follow the link to this article titled "Car Repair Stress Cure with ASMR Brake Job."


The Least You Need to Know...


Achieving Zen-like serenity with car repairs will take more than watching an ASMR video. However, it is a good start.


Mechanics like Eric achieve the easy flow of doing a repair after hundreds, if not thousands, of similar repairs over their careers.


For the DIY novice home mechanic, one method I believe is the next best thing is, to begin with an exercise that I like to call a "dry-run repair" (which we will discuss in more detail in a future post) to familiarize yourself with the tools and the process from disassembly to repair to reassembly. One good first-time example is taking apart and reassembling a simple 2-barrel carburetor multiple times.


The goal of a dry-run exercise is to build familiarity, knowledge, muscle memory, and a level of comfort where you can do the breakdown and reassembly in front of someone and then be able to teach someone else how to do it. The old see one, do one, teach one―with some modification. But you get the idea.


That's it for this post. Be sure to keep an eye open for a continuation and elaboration of this topic and a dry-run exercise in a future post.


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