Autumn YouTube Ambience Playlist

One of the best things I’ve found, as an immersive tool are Ambient YouTube Videos

I know they’ve become trendy in recent years, especially with the onset of AI and specifically Midjourney but I’ve been using these for about 13 years now! As someone who has wrestled with anxiety and at times focus, I started making my own version of these videos in college to help me study. I used to commandeer our large auditorium at Pepperdine, where I went to university, in the evening and put on rainymood.com (still exists) and layer in the soundtrack on YouTube to Harry Potter (what else?!), LOTR, or the 1994 Little Women soundtrack (side note if you haven’t watched it do so IMMEDIATELY… the music, the vibes, Susan Sarandon as Marmee and the chemistry between a young Christian Bale and Winona Ryder… is there anything better?)

Anyhow, now with all the wonderful graphic artists who have made thousands of ambient YouTube videos for us with literally almost every theme imaginable we have sensory grounding at its finest with the four key components of a coping skill, in my opinion.

🗝️  1. Able to be used inactively.

• The last thing you want is for your grounding tool to distract you. These videos often have 10+ hr loops.

🗝️ 2. Highly customizable!

• This is one of the most customizable sensory tools you’ll every have in your arsenal – there is something for every whim you may ever have so you can match your ambiance to your specific mood.

🗝️ 3. Dopamine and oxytocin release

• Familiar, comforting environments often spark small dopamine hits because they signal reward and predictability.
• If the content evokes connection – a bustling café, soft laughter, a holiday gathering, oxytocin (our bonding hormone) may also rise slightly, reinforcing calm and belonging.

🗝️ 4. Parasympathetic nervous system activation

• Slow, rhythmic sounds (rainfall, ocean waves, crackling fire) synchronize with brainwave rhythms and breathing patterns, nudging the body into parasympathetic “rest and digest” mode.

So, if Autumn is your happy place or you’re a seasonal enthusiast like me – please enjoy my curated YouTube playlist of all my favorite fall videos. Ambient Autumn Playlist