Masturbation is Self-Care

You hear and read it everywhere. People are sharing their experiences from retreats and work-shops. Yoga weekends, mindfulness classes and spa weeks. That all sounds fancy pancy and is probably great for those who can afford it or have time to engage in such activities. But what about all of us who are on a budget or have a busy lifestyle? Well, for us there is the lovely concept of self-care! Self-care is a way to prioritize our own needs and our own well-being, so we can recharge our batteries, rest and feel good about ourselves. You don’t need expensive trips or lengthy classes to achieve a soothed soul and a pampered body. And I claim: masturbation is self-care and an easy way to reach all those goals in just one go!

Self-Care

Now, there are a lot of different self-care activities one could engage in. You could watch Netflix for hours, you could exercise, you could cook a healthy and yummy meal. There are bubble baths, hot showers, days in bed. You could exercise, go for a walk or play with your pet. And there is diary writing, being creative or talking to a friend. The list is endless. It is all about what you like to do, what you can do to make yourself feel good. And let’s not forget the basics: eat well, drink enough water and sleep enough!

All those things are absolutely lovely, and I myself love just binge watching a show on Netflix or hand writing a letter. But you know what I have realized? Masturbation is the best self-care for me! It can be quick or superslow, there are different varieties of it and I always feel better after. It doesn’t take a whole lot of work, and it helps me on so many levels.

The Benefits of Masturbation

For me personally, it helps to reduce stress and anxiety. It is like that overwhelming buzzing restlessness that I can sometimes feel in my whole body, has an outlet. I could get that with sex too, but masturbation is truly only focusing on my own pleasure and relaxation, not anyone else’s. Masturbation has helped me with period cramps and made my periods shorter. It has helped me understand my own body and its reactions better. It has even helped with some of my body image issues. Oh, and exploring the fantasies hidden in the dark corners of my mind. It is always quite exciting to suddenly discover new turn ons I hadn’t even been aware of.

Those are my own experiences, of course! But I am not alone with realizing the benefits of masturbation for self-care. Masturbation is said to be stress reducing, pain reducing and endorphin inducing. It can make you fall asleep easier. It helps you discover your sexual needs and your physical reactions to different kinds of stimulation. And not only that, is is safer than actual sex: there is no risk of pregnancy or STDs!

Risks?

Everything is good in moderation though. While masturbating a lot doesn’t make you blind, impotent or make your clit fall off, there is a risk of addiction. I am not kidding people. Masturbation and porn addiction is a real thing. It becomes an issue if it takes over your life and makes it impossible for you to function on a day to day basis.

Masturbation for Anxiety Relief

For me, there are two ways to use masturbation for self-care. I can have strong anxiety for some reason, or some overwhelming thoughts that I just can’t get rid off. So I lay back, spread my legs and move my fingers down to my happy place. I don’t need much preparation for this. All I want is a quick release, to reset my mind and my feelings. A strong sensation to help me breathe out and think clearer. I basically rub one out, manually, with my fingers, fast and focused on only one thing: the orgasm. And then I can go and wash my hand, sit down again, and restart my day.

Masturbation Session = Self-Love

And then there is the masturbation session. Now that is true self-care! I get naked, get my favourite toy and lube out, and lay down. My head rests comfortably on a pillow. I start caressing my breasts, I squeeze my nipples and pull them a little. I allow my hands to wander over my belly, my hips and I squeeze my thighs. My eyes are closed and I am focused only on myself and the sensations on my skin. I spread my legs and get the toy. I lube it up and start the vibrations on a low setting. Then I let it circle around my clit, my opening. This is not about a quick orgasm, or an orgasm at all.

I can feel my whole body relax as I massage my own cunt with the vibrating toy. There is no time limit, I do this to enjoy myself, to enjoy sensations. I might increase the vibrations. I might add another toy, a buttplug, a dildo. The session can take hours and I get multiple orgasms. Or it only lasts tens minutes, I don’t come, but I fall asleep. I feel that these kinds of sessions are acts of self-love, of self-care and of allowing myself to feel the beautiful reactions my body allows me to experience.

Maybe it works for you too?

I know that masturbation is iffy for some people.. There is the fear of not being able to get an orgasm. Or body image issues that make it difficult to enjoy any kind of touch, even the touch of one’s own hands. What physical self-love entails, is different for everyone. You can find a way that helps you relax, make you feel better about yourself and release the tensions in your body and mind. For me, masturbation is self-care. Maybe it can be for you too?

Read a sex toy review discussing masturbation.

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