Watching this vacuum suck up hair is eerily soothing

Sometimes, there’s nothing better to do to take our minds off the matter than to zone out. It’s no wonder things like ASMR, soothing GIFs and guided meditation apps have gotten so popular. This 26-second video is exactly the kind of visual you’ll want to watch over and over again on loop. 

Watch as a New Jersey salon worker at Hair by Lima sweeps a pile of dirty blond hair near an EyeVac vacuum cleaner. The machine then seemingly inhales freshly chopped locks. Even the salon’s dog is intrigued by the vacuum cleaner as the hair disappears into a small metal box. 

The EyeVac is a hands-free vacuum cleaner that is popular in homes, barbershops and hair salons. Instead of carrying and pushing the vacuum around, all the user has to do is sweep trash within a couple of feet of the EyeVac, and it will suck it right up. The vacuum cleaner uses infrared sensors to detect rubbish.

Taking a moment to spend time appreciating artistic visuals like the vacuum in the video above has been shown to alleviate anxiety and depression. According to consumer goods website Society6, “studies have shown that viewing and creating art, and participating in art therapy routines, decreased stress levels in participants.”

Now, watching hair get vacuumed may not appear to be art at first, but art, in itself, can be something beyond what you normally see hanging on the walls of the Museum of Modern Art — it can even be as simple as a doodle or a crocheted piece. 

“Looking at art puts your brain to work,” Society6 points out. “Our brains are wired to pick out familiar patterns, extract meaning from anything we see and even make us feel immersed in an artwork. So whether you’re looking at a portrait photograph, an abstract painting or something that you’re not quite sure is even ‘art’ (we’ve all been there), little neurons in your head are translating what you see into familiar forms and feels. And when you develop an emotional attachment to an image, you’re going to appreciate it that much more.”

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