Masturbation
is good, and good for you! 4 Min Read
Masturbation
is a topic shrouded in stigma and taboo. Well taboo, shamoo! No matter what
your upbringing, religion or internet forums may have told you, masturbation is
good, and good for you. We need to recognise the numerous benefits of self-love.
As masturbation is not just a good time and sexual release for sad lonely singletons,
it also has many physical and mental health advantages. For everyone!
Masturbation is a natural and safe way to explore…
It allows you
to become more familiar with your own body, preferences, and sexual responses. This
self-awareness can help boost your self-confidence and body positivity. If you
don’t know what turns you on, how can you communicate what you like to a sexual
partner! Exploring and understanding yourself can improve how you communicate
what you like to others, and so improve all your sexual experiences.
And just
because you’re in a relationship doesn’t mean you shouldn’t masturbate either!
Unless your
libido is perfectly synchronised with your partner’s at all times (yeah right!),
then meeting needs through masturbation can help to relieve tension (yours and between
you), as well as take some pressure off the partner with the lower sex drive.
Plus, mutual
masturbation can be fun if you’re into it. Not only can it be a massive turn on
to masturbate in sync with your partner (co-sturbate?), but if you try watching
each other, you will learn what turns each other on. Have you ever thought to
yourself “I’ve told my partner I do/don’t enjoy something” but they still don’t
do/do it? Maybe you need to show them! After all, there are 4 core learning
styles and one of them is “visual”. Read that bit again in case your preferred learning
style isn’t reading/writing!
Whatever the
current state of your sexual relationship, it’s healthy to talk about masturbation.
Masturbation
equals better sex!
Do you practice
your skills, or train in the gym? Of course you do, so why should this be any
different? Masturbation strengthens your pelvic floor muscles. Stronger pelvic
floor means more powerful orgasms and reduced risk of urinary incontinence for vulva
owners.
For penis
owners, masturbating regularly has been proven to improve stamina, and give stronger,
longer erections and more powerful orgasms. Climax control can also be improved
through experimentation of different techniques, and a pre match solo session
can help to prevent peaking too early.
Win, win!
There are more
physical and mental health benefits too!
Masturbation
has also been linked to improved sleep quality!
The release
of dopamine and oxytocin (feel-good hormones) during masturbation can induce
feelings of relaxation, leading to better sleep. Better sleep has a positive
impact on overall health and well-being. Enough said, we all need more sleep!
Masturbation
helps reduce stress and makes you feel happier!
Those same feel-good
hormones reduce stress, and so masturbation is a natural stress-reliever and can
alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression. Seems like a good reason to turn
blue Monday into masturbation Monday.
Masturbation
relieves pain!
As well as
the benefits of the feel-good hormones, climaxing releases endorphins, which
impact the processing and perception of pain. Orgasms also stimulate blood
circulation and metabolism, relaxing the muscles. It all adds up to more
comfort overall, and studies have shown a specific and significant impact of
masturbation in relieving menstrual cramps.
Masturbation
can boost your immune system!
Research has found that
masturbation increases the number of leukocytes (white blood cells) during
climax. These immune boosting cells help fight infection.
Masturbation
may prevent prostate cancer!
For penis
owners, ejaculation flushes out toxins and potentially harmful bacteria from
the prostate gland. Additionally, it can help to remove any potentially
cancerous cells from the prostate and keep it healthy.
Masturbation
is self-care!
In a world that constantly
tells us we should do more to care for ourselves, masturbation is an easy solution
for spending more time with yourself in a healthy pursuit. As therapist Sarah Mandel writes, 'Masturbation is a
healthy way to learn to self-soothe and self-nurture and can be an integral
part of an individual's mental health care routine'. And just because it’s
a solo practice doesn’t mean you can’t indulge yourself. Dim the lights, light
that candle you’ve been saving, put on your sexiest undies, and put on that get
jiggy playlist…
The moral of
the story:
Feeling sad? Masturbate. In pain? Masturbate. Want to improve your sex life? Masturbate. Stressed out? Masturbate. Can’t sleep? Masturbate. Can’t afford a spa day? Masturbate. Partner not up for it tonight? Masturbate. Getting a cold? Masturbate.
Given all the benefits, why wouldn’t you do it more?
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