If you like exploring your sexual life, then you have thought about having solo sex. While engaging in sexual activity with a partner may seem “normal,” you can discover more about your sexual life by having a solo time. Like when having sex with a partner, you need to know how to make the most out of masturbation to experience maximum pleasure. While we are not experts in matters of sex, we can provide tips to help achieve the best orgasm without a partner and what that means for your mental health.
What is Solo Sex?
Alone sex refers to the act of stimulating oneself to achieve sexual pleasure. Commonly known as masturbation, it involves pleasuring yourself until you achieve an orgasm. Solo sex is more than rubbing your rod, nips, and nubs. It involves engaging in acts that evoke your romantic, sensual, and sexual self counts. It’s a great way to connect to your body and become more confident.
Why, How, and When to Engage in Solo Sex
Anybody can masturbate—whether you have a partner or not. As mentioned, engaging in a solo act allows you to connect to your body and learn about yourself. By stimulating your genitals (penis, clitoris, vulva) anus, breasts, and other sensitive body parts, you trigger physiological responses that lead to an awakening pleasure.
How?
There are many ways you can use when masturbating depending on your preferences. For example, some use their fingers and achieve pleasurable moments while others use sex toys, including dildos and vibrators. PinkCherry offers a variety of sex toys if you would like to try them out.
When?
Like the methods, how frequently one masturbates depends on an individual’s need for sexual pleasure. Some do it more frequently while others less frequently. In other words, there is no standard number of times one can masturbate, let’s say in a week. It depends on desires and circumstances.
How Solo Sex Impacts Your Mental Health
Just like having healthy sex with your partner, masturbating comes with many benefits to your mental health. Let’s look at ways masturbation can contribute to your happiness:
Solo Sex Can Improve Your Mood
Just like partnered sex, masturbation leads to orgasm. When you orgasm (whether through masturbation or having intercourse with your partner), your body will release the hormone dopamine. Increased levels of dopamine hormone mean an improved mood, happiness, and motivation.
Better Self-Image and Improved Self-Esteem
Masturbation provides a great way to know your body and explore your sexual pleasures. And when you become more aware of your body, you gain more self-love.
Like partnered sex, masturbation allows you to experiment with different stimulation angles and find new ways to achieve maximum pleasure by yourself. This self-awareness opens many sexual possibilities, which can lead to a better sexual life with your partner. It will also help you achieve self-confidence and self-love, which will promote mental wellness.
Solo Sex Can Help Reduce Anxiety and Depression
When you masturbate, you orgasm. When you orgasm, the body releases more endorphins (stress-relieving) and the hormone oxytocin (love hormone).
These two hormones can help fight anxiety and depression and create a sense of relaxation and calmness. In addition to increased production of hormone endorphins and oxytocin, there is a reduction in cortisol (stress hormone) during orgasm.
Provides a Safe Space for Sex Exploration
Partnered sex is great but has its limitations for anxious partners. For such individuals, masturbation offers a safe space to explore their sexual desires.
When going solo, you can set the pace and mood, and still enjoy the many benefits of an orgasm. Still, it allows you to try out different sexual stimulations before you can try them out with your partner. Take it as a warm up before heavy exercise, only that this is more pleasurable and will help you have more pleasurable moments with your partner.
Solo Sex for a Night of Better Sleep
Solo sex can also lead to a night of good sleep.
Orgasm leads to the release of oxytocin and the reduction of the stress hormone cortisol, which is vital when fighting stress and anxiety. One of the causes of lack of quality sleep is depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental issues. So, if you have something that can eliminate these issues, you can increase your chances of sleeping better at night.
And a night of better sleep means a more motivated and energized you the following day. In turn, this will give you more time and energy to plan your day to achieve more, which means less stress and anxiety due to non-accomplished tasks.
Can Masturbation Help Improve Your Sex Life
Masturbation opens a door for self-exploration and achieving body confidence, among other benefits. If this is all you get from this post, you have more than you need to turn your sexual life, mental, and general life around.
Once you become self-aware, you can better relate with yourself and others (including your partner) which will open the door for healthy relationships. Plus, gaining body confidence means you don’t have to deal with insecurities or other negative feelings that can impact your sexual life.
Masturbation will help you to better understand your sexual desires and better communicate them to your partner. This will lead to a better sexual life and less stressful relationships.
