A Masturbation Guide

Totally natural and seriously good for you: masturbation. At its simplest, it’s just exploring your own body and figuring out what feels good, but it’s also so much more than that. Let’s dive into what masturbation actually is, why we (and so many people) swear by it, and all the feel-good benefits that come with it. It’s all about self-love, liberation, and getting in touch with your own pleasure with no shame and no pressure, just you doing you.

How to masturbate

1. Get relaxed and comfortable, and get ready to reconnect with yourself
2. Use your fingers, hand or favorite sex toy to start stimulating either your penis, clit or other erogenous zones
3. Experiment and explore with different pressures, speeds and positions to find your pleasure and reach orgasm

Differences between male and female masturbation

Masturbation for both male and females offers the same purpose of pleasure. With the main differences just being the anatomy and techniques. Male masturbation will be stimulating the penis, with females stimulating the clit.

Male masturbation techniques

These can vary but it’s mostly using the hand to stimulate the penis in different ways. Changing the speed, pressure and rhythm are the techniques males will use to find what feels best. Lube can also be used to make things smoother, and different positions can also be explored.

How can women masturbate?

Females will tend to use their fingers to gently stimulate the clit, playing with pressure, speeds and rhythm to find their pleasure. Different positions will change sensation and using a vibrator or clit stim will enhance the pleasure even more. Most females will focus on external stimulation, but others explore internal pleasure too, stimulating their g spot and finding what works for them.

You can target other erogenous zones for more points of stimulation too, including areas like the nipples, inner thighs, neck, and lower stomach. Playing around with touch with light strokes and gentle pinching can build arousal and make everything feel more intense. Everyone’s different, so you need to explore what feels good for you.

Is masturbation healthy for you?

Yes, it’s generally a healthy thing for you to do and can provide a range of benefits which can help your overall mental well-being. From reducing stress to improving sleep, lifting your mood and releasing those feel-good hormones like dopamine and endorphins.

It’s healthy for you in different ways too. It gives you the chance to fantasise and explore, learning what it is that pleasures you which in turn will help boost your confidence and sexual experiences.

Is masturbation harmful?

For most people, masturbating isn’t harmful, bad for your health or cause any physical harm. It’s a healthy part of sexual wellbeing that provides many benefits, however, if you’re finding any of the below to be true to you, you may need to start finding the right balance of masturbation:

• If it starts interfering with daily life, relationships, or responsibilities
• If it feels compulsive or hard to control
• If it’s causing physical irritation from overdoing it without care
• If it’s tied to strong guilt or distress

How often should you masturbate?

There’s no “right” amount of how much you should masturbate. If it feels good for you and isn’t interfering with your daily life or personal wellbeing, then your own amount of masturbation is a healthy amount.

How often is too much masturbation?

Again, there’s no right or wrong answer here. But as soon as masturbation starts interfering with daily life and relationships, is hard to control or is causing physical irritation then you’re probably masturbating too much and need to find a better balance.

Masturbation side effects

Masturbation doesn’t really cause any side effects other than making you feel great, relieving stress and improving sleep. However, there could be a couple of side effects in the case of overdoing it such as:

• Physical irritation
• Reduced sensitivity
• Difficulty focusing due to it being a distraction

Does masturbation cause low testosterone?

No, it doesn’t. If you’re worried about low testosterone levels you should look at your overall lifestyle rather than masturbation.

How to stop masturbating

If you’re finding yourself masturbating a little too much for what you think is healthy for you, there are a few things you can do before reaching out for professional help.

• Monitor and understand your triggers – whether it’s boredom, stress, or something else that triggers you, knowing what it is will help you interrupt them and focus on something else
• Replace the habit – don’t just remove the habit but replace it with something else. Think exercise, reading, or speaking to a friend
• Set realistic goals – gradually cut down rather than going cold turkey and stopping suddenly
• Avoid guilt – don’t feel shame around your habit. Focus on building control and consider reaching out for support if you feel you would benefit from it

Masturbation is just a normal, natural way to unwind, explore your body, and figure out what actually feels good for you. Once you drop any awkwardness or guilt around it, it can honestly just become part of looking after yourself and increasing your sexual confidence. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, as long as it’s comfortable and works for you. So don’t overthink it and make time to reconnect with yourself. It’s time to focus on your pleasure and discover what self-love really feels like for you. And, while we love solo masturbation, have you tried mutual masturbation with your partner? You won’t regret it.