So, you’ve had a hectic day at the office and you get home late, still brooding over what needs to get done tomorrow. Your partner asks if there’s something wrong, and with sex right at the bottom of your to-do-list, you force yourself into performing. It doesn’t work. The next time you have sex you’re reminded of what happened before, which only makes you fail again! Soon the stress of performance anxiety is an ingrained habit that causes erectile dysfunction whenever you think about sex. Sound familiar?

Work-related stress is a huge issue for sexual dysfunction. Why? Men with demanding jobs have a hard time leaving work at the office, which means their anxiety is in high gear for most of the day – keeping them from reaching full throttle in the bedroom.

Sadly, for millions of men, erectile dysfunction is nothing more than a stress response that triggers a classic mind-body phenomenon.

Psychological studies examining the link between job stress and sex demonstrated that longer working hours, and the pressure to do more in less time, had a significant impact on sexual health. Stress disrupts hormone levels, causes arteries to narrow and restricts blood flow to certain areas; potentially causing erectile dysfunction.

Thing is though, sex is a great way to relieve stress. So, maybe it’s time to smash stress and make a few changes!

Here are a few things to keep in mind while dealing with sex and stress:

• Cut the digital leash. Sure, it can be career suicide for some to totally shut off devices after hours. But when you’re always checking your phone you’ll never be able to separate your personal life from work. Get a realistic sense of what is expected and if you can get away with checking email and voicemail once a night, set those boundaries and stick to them.
• Don’t wait till the end of the day to have sex. Have early morning sex or maybe shower-sex before work? Yes, schedule it! Don’t wait until 11pm when you’re exhausted and just want to sleep.
• Think about sexual pleasure. This doesn’t mean you’ve got to have sex when you’re not in the mood, but be open to the idea, kiss and touch often. Even if it doesn’t lead to sex, affection will keep you bonded and ready for fireworks!
• Take care of yourself. It’s easy to turn to alcohol or food or other substances for comfort when you’re stressed, but doing so will wreak further havoc on your sexual desire. So, exercise frequently. Run fast, bike hard and punch the heavy bag. A University of Missouri study found that 33 minutes of high intensity exercise help to lower stress levels more than working out at a moderate pace. Get enough sleep and eat lighter meals, think of sex as dessert. If you don’t eat heavy you’ll always have space for something sweet, right?

So, exercise, relax, delegate some responsibilities to others and make out with your partner. It will make the second half of 2017 a lot less stressful… and a lot more fun!

Source: www.goodhousekeeping.com, www.everydayhealth.com, newsnationalpost.com, www.healthline.com, www.menshealth.com, www.prevention.com, www.psychologytoday.com, www.huffingtonpost.com, www.mensjournal.com