According to the Oxford Dictionary, self care is the practice of taking action to ‘preserve or improve one's own health’. With so many mental and physical health benefits gained from self-pleasure, it leads us to the question - is masturbation self care?
For us, it’s a resounding yes, yes, yes. We believe masturbation is self care and should be as normal and accessible as a relaxing face mask, cup of tea, or sleeping in at the weekend. Here, we make the case for solo sex as the ultimate self care act - with some ideas to make your me-time extra pleasurable.
Is masturbation self care? If so, why should we care?
With almost 67 million #SelfCare posts on Instagram alone, it’s clear that - as a society - we’re not shy about looking after ourselves. And while the notion of self care is different for everyone, you’re most likely to see swanky spa shots and yoga videos appear under the hashtag.
But what if there was an activity in the usual list of Self Care Week ideas that released feel-good endorphins, reduced stress, improved your immune system, and even reduced pain - and it wasn’t being mentioned?
It’s true that some people get the jitters about getting jiggy with themselves due to old stigmas surrounding self-pleasure. And even those who love going solo may still feel uncomfortable talking about it. Which leaves us with a very popular (deliciously enjoyable) self care activity no one will name: masturbation.
How, exactly, is masturbating self-care?
Sexual wellness is just as important as physical and mental wellness in the self care realm. Here, we explore just a few reasons why:
Is there anything that screams ‘self care’ more than knowing what we want and how we want it? Masturbation gives us a space to freely explore our needs and enjoy our body without feeling remorseful, guilty, or under pressure to please anyone else.
Pleasuring yourself turns your body into a dream world of powerful stress-relieving, confidence-boosting chemicals. Even if you don’t reach orgasm, feel-great hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins are released, helping to soothe anxiety, relieve pain (including menstrual cramps in women) and promote good health. Sexual satisfaction also makes you feel happier and fulfilled, releasing tension and irritation, which can put an additional spring in your step.
Sleep is crucial in order to care for your body, mind, and soul. But if you can’t sleep, what can you do? Among the health-promoting chemicals released during masturbation is prolactin. This unique hormone promotes REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which plays an important role in memory, dreaming, processing emotions, and healthy brain development. Get that dreamy orgasmic high and you’ll (hopefully) be dozing in no time.
Making masturbation part of your self-care routine
So now we’ve established why masturbation is self care, how do we prioritize pleasure in our wellness routine? We believe it starts with eradicating shame from solo sex. Forget expectations, clear your head, and connect with yourself. To get yourself in the mood, you can start with a simple meditation, play some music, or explore some adult content.
Remember, the goal is pleasure, so take your time. Explore your body, lingering on different areas (including less common erogenous zones) until you know yourself better. Maybe you’ve never had an orgasm.
Maybe you’ve never had a hands-free orgasm. If you have a vulva, perhaps you want to spend more time finding your G-spot, or stimulating your clit. Perhaps, as a penis-owner, you want to explore climaxing without stroking.
Once you prioritize your sexual wellness, you may want to take masturbation to the next level with mind-blowing pleasure products. Start with our groundbreaking male sex tech, including the award-winning Keon Collection and FeelStars Collection.
Our female sex tech range features the world’s most advanced interactive G-spot vibrators, and even wearable massagers. Lube up, bliss out, and let the stresses of daily life dissolve.
Masturbation is self care - and it can also help you have better partnered sex. Knowing what gets you off makes it easier to communicate in the bedroom, helping you relax and enjoy sex.
For example, if you know you always fantasize about getting tied up while masturbating, you can discuss learning the ropes in bondage together with a partner. If you’ve learnt that you adore butt play in solo sessions, you might want to try anal sex, or introduce some butt-pleasuring products to the bedroom.
Ultimately, you’re the love of your life, so enjoying a ménage a moi is very natural, healthy, and something you shouldn’t leave off the daily wellness checklist. Sometimes, if you’re really feeling it, you can even put it on there twice. Thrice, to be sure.
For more information on sexual health, and plenty of inspiration on sexual pleasure, explore the Kiiroo blog.
