How anxiety is affecting your sex drive?

Stress can completely take over our psychological, mental and physical health. When you feel stressed and anxious, you find it hard to focus on something, you resort to fatty foods for stress relief or avoid eating at all. You feel like stress is draining your energy and makes you unable to perform normally.

Do you realize how stress and anxiety affect your sex life? When sex should be a relaxing experience of expressing your feelings to your partner, stress and anxiety is preventing you from getting physical and romantic with your loved one.

How does anxiety affect your sex life?

Cortisol effect

Anxiety can make you lose sexual desire. When you feel anxious, the level of cortisol (that is, stress hormone) is high in your body. And high cortisol suppresses sexual hormones that affect desire. You will not be in the mood to have sex with your partner.

Low self-esteem

When you are anxious, you are more likely to feel self-conscious and focus on your body’s flaws focus. Although some women are aware of their body’s imperfections, however when anxious, that self-consciousness is raised even more. Therefore, women tend to feel less confident about how their body looks. This prevents them from feeling sexy, romantic, and confident naked during sex.

No intimacy

You may not want to be physically or emotionally close to your partner when you’re feeling overwhelmed. This makes you closed towards yourself and towards your body preventing you from enjoying foreplay and sex in general. Tension might increase between the couple, as a result.

Hard to orgasm

Anxiety and tension affect your body; tensed or clenched muscles, rapid breathing... Your body cannot relax, which is a key factor for enjoying sex. Stress hormones will prevent you reaching orgasm or make it difficult on you. This means it can be difficult to experience pleasure and connect with your partner.

What is the solution?

Communication: When talking to your partner about why you’re anxious or what is bothering you, it may help you relieve stress. You can both find a solution together, as well as improve your sexual life.

Intimacy in a different way: Learn to be intimate with your partner without sex. For example, a massage or a warm bath together can be an intimate activity rather than sex, and effective way to please each other.

Exercise: not only does it make you feel confident towards your body, but also improves your stamina in bed.

Distract yourself: put on some romantic music or sexy movie while having sex. Think about something that increases your sexual drive. This can flush out negative thoughts that affect your sexual performance and prevent you from feeling aroused.