9 Habits That May Be Affecting Your Sex Drive

A good sex life isn’t just important for maintaining a healthy, functioning relationship, but also provides a host of body health benefits like a strong immune system, heart, and bladder, among others.

However, these benefits can be difficult to reap with a regular, unexplainably low sex drive, or libido. Visit a sexologist if you have any sex-related concers. Read on for some of the most common habits that may be keeping you from enjoying your time under the sheets:

1-Daily Stress:

Nothing kills sexual desire like stress. Overwhelming work schedules and social life stressors contribute towards chronic stress and reduced sleep quality; both of which drastically increase cortisol (the stress hormone) levels to suppress the natural sex hormones and sexual desire. Calming activities like yoga, walking, and painting can help with stress management.

2-Self-Hate:

While it is normal to feel some level of self-consciousness during intercourse, habitual self-shaming and constantly worrying about your self-worth and how your partner might feel serves as a distraction that leaves you unable to enjoy sex. The only way to overcome this is to take time out to regularly pamper and accept yourself fully; flaws and all.

3-Your Smart Phone:

The ‘No-Technology’ rule before bed also stands for sex. Checking your email and answering work-related calls right before or during intercourse leaves you distracted and unable to focus on one another; resulting in a short, unpleasurable sexual experience. So, keep your smartphones and laptops far from the bed for better intercourse and a good night’s sleep.

4-Sweeping Everything Under the Rug:

Allowing arguments and points of conflict to pile up without properly resolving them often culminates into a lack of desire in the bedroom. While ignoring them can temporarily keep the problems at bay, not voicing these conflicts between you and your partner can lead to long standing feelings of anger, resentment, and eventually damage the relationship both sexually and emotionally.

5-Extra-Marital Flirting:

A causal exchange with an attractive co-worker. Text-flirtation with someone sexually appealing on social media. Both these and more may seem harmless on the surface, but actually divert your time and attention away from your partner. Most often end up comparing others to their partner, which only increases the emotional distance and reduces sexual desire.

6-Monotony:

You may not realize it, but a large part of your reduced sex drive may be due to a repetitive intercourse pattern that reduces a passionate experience to a boring routine chore. Try new positions and adding foreplay before the actual intercourse to increase anticipation and prolong sex.

7-Your Medication:

Certain SSRI medications for depression and anxiety have the added side-effect of suppressing sex hormones and reducing sex drive. However, instead of abruptly stopping or switching your medication, consult with your doctor on possible alternatives to avoid complications. Similarly, some birth control medication can also cause a testosterone imbalance to drastically affect libido.

8-Avoiding the Gym:

Exercise improves blood flow to the genitals to automatically amplify sexual desire. Moreover, regular physical activity also contributes towards balancing estrogen and testosterone levels-the prime hormones for sustaining libido. Refrain from overdoing it however, as excess exercise can have an adverse effect on hormone levels and energy, resulting in lethargy and minimal stamina for sex.

9-Bad Food Choices:

Sugar, trans-fats, and refined carbohydrates are male libido’s worst enemy. Sugar promotes excess fat storage and abdominal obesity by increasing insulin production, resulting in high estrogen levels and low sex drive in men. Moreover, excess fried and salty foods cause genital bloating with libido-negative effects.

Instead, try testosterone boosting foods containing zinc and magnesium. Examples include leafy green vegetables, lean meats, fortified grains and cereals, nuts, fish, avocados, yogurt, and dark chocolate, among others.

Libido is often easily recovered with the right lifestyle and attitude adjustments. However, consult with your doctor for a proper diagnosis if any physical symptoms such as gastric issues, genital pain, etc. are the cause of your lowered sex drive.

You can also book an appointment with a top sexologist in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad through oladoc.com, or call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your sexual health concerns.