Control your stress for a rocking sex life

Sex has a close relationship with stress. It can relieve stress and yet, at times, also subdue your libido. Here, we give a few tips to get rid of stress for overall well being.

By: Editorial Team | | Published: July 17, 2019 9:00 pm

Excessive stress can affect your desire, excitement and intensity of orgasm.© Shutterstock

Stress is not good for you. Chronic stress is worse as it can weaken your immune system and put you at risk of many serious ailments including cancer. It can affect you physically as well as emotionally. It also has a big impact on sex life. In fact, stress shares a strange relationship with sex. It can lower your sex drive. But then, sex is also known to be a great stress reliever. All this sounds rather confusing, doesn’t it? Let us try to demystify the whole thing.

Role of stress in sexual performance

What is the first thing that gets you in the mood for romance? Isn’t it fantasizing? But if you are stressed about something, how will you think about getting intimate with your partner?

Excessive stress can affect your desire, excitement and intensity of orgasm. Constant worrying can lead to a decrease in libido by causing dysregulation of neuroendocrine and neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the body. This can affect the quality and volume of sperm. A study published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, explains that chronic stress actually increases the levels of the cortisol hormone in the body. And, high cortisol levels can suppress the male sex hormone, testosterone. This hormone is responsible for increasing your desire for sex.

Effect of stress on men

Stress in men leads to lower sperm concentrations per ejaculation, says another study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. It states that stress impairs the motility of sperm. Cortisol hormone released during stress actually triggers the secretion of glucocorticoids and steroid hormones that are known to reduce testosterone levels in the body. This further lowers your sperm production. These hormones may also increase oxidative stress that leads to poor semen quality and infertility.

Effect of stress on women

In women, chronic stress reduces the level of the oxytocin hormone, which is essential for sexual excitement during foreplay. This clearly means that during stress, even activities like cuddling and kissing won’t help. Also, this hormone plays a significant role in releasing sexual tension during an orgasm. However, the stress hormone suppresses its function and does not allow relaxation after intercourse, thus leading to poor satisfaction.

How to mitigate devastating effects of stress?

It is important to manage your stress levels not only for a better sexual experience but also to enjoy a healthy relationship with your partner. Here are some simple tips that will help you to deal with stress.

Starting the day

The way you start your day dictates how the day will unfold. So, ensure you begin the day on a good note. Instead of reaching out for your smart phone to check angry emails from your clients, sit upright on your bed cross-legged and chant your favorite mantra. If you don’t feel like chanting, you could simply meditate for a couple of minutes. Meditation has been known to found to be beneficial in reducing stress. With your mind fully relaxed, you are now ready to face the world.

Remove toxins from your body

Once you are up, what you need first thing in the morning is an internal cleanse. And no one is better at this job than our little friend, lemon. Squeeze juice of half a lemon into a glass and add some warm water to it. Sip it slowly and feel the refreshing drink cleanse your system from within. Ayurveda says citrus fruits like lemon contain antioxidants that can target the damage-causing free radicals in your system.

Have a cup of tea

Admit it. The best part of waking up is the steaming cup of tea waiting for you on table. You can add clove and ginger to your tea to enhance its stress-busting properties. These two are known for their free-radical fighting qualities that reduce oxidative stress in the body. By adding a piece each of ginger and a clove, you can supersize the anti-inflammatory powers of your humble cup of tea.

Take a refreshing bath

A warm bath is great for relaxing your frayed nerves and releasing some of the pent-up tension in your system. But for ultimate relaxation, Ayurveda suggests adding ½ a cup of ginger powder to your bathwater. Ginger has been traditionally known to encourage circulation and detoxification. If you have a bathtub, add it directly to the water and soak in it.

Eat right

It is needless to stress on the importance of a nutritious diet. But no matter how healthy the food is, sometimes you could experience gastric issues like indigestion. When food is not digested right, it releases toxic waste products into your blood stream. What you need is a digestive aid like carom seeds or ajwain. Chew on some seeds after a heavy lunch to ensure digestion takes place properly.

Keep your body hydrated

Conventional wisdom says that a healthy individual should drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. Although water is great on its own, why don’t we turn it into an antioxidant-rich super drink? Steep few bruised leaves of tulsi in your water and drink the liquid throughout the day. According to Ayurveda, you will be supplying your body with powerful antioxidants that fights oxidative stress throughout the day. You could also add a dash of lemon juice to your water. You can also replace your chai with tulsi tea. Less caffeine is always good.

Breathe in relaxation, breathe out stress

Eucalyptus or nilgiri has a lot of amazing health benefits, one of which is aiding relaxation. Inhale a few drops of nilgiri oil or add it to your diffuser. The entire room will smell of this fragrant herb, setting the perfect atmosphere for you to unwind after work.

Ending the day

Ideally, you should end your day exactly the way you began it. This means, go for meditation before hitting the sack. Also, avoid binge watching shows till late in the night or checking your work mails at home. Instead, sit cross-legged on your bed with your back straight in padmasana or sukhasana and meditate for ten minutes. You could also chant your favourite mantra or meditate for a while. When you lie down to sleep, your mind will be relaxed, and your body will be clean.

Published: July 17, 2019 9:00 pm

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