Today’s women often find themselves wearing two hats, one they wear at home and another hat at work. With more women facing greater responsibilities, the incidents of stress have been increasing accordingly. High levels of stress have always been known to produce negative effects on a person’s health.
One of the negative effects of high stress levels is that it contributes to a lower sex drive. One of the factors important for sexual stimulation is being able to concentrate on the sexual act or your partner. Stress and anxiety decreases the degree of pleasure and makes it harder for a woman to achieve climax.
One of the common misconceptions about stress and anxiety are that decreased libido is merely psychological. Although many of the problems are psychological or related to a change in personality; stress also affects body functioning contributing to a series of events which finally lead to a decreased sex drive.
Stress is a body’s response when it is faced with things which pose a threat or upsets the normal balance. This triggers defensive mechanisms which protect the individual from any real or perceived danger. In order for us to get a better understanding on how stress affects our sex drive let us take a look at the changes which happens during stress:
- Increases heart rate
- Chest pain
- Increases respiratory rate
- Head ache
- Increases blood pressure
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Depression
- Irregular bowel movements
- Changes in hormone levels
- Mood swings
Stress triggers a lot of physical responses — most of which don’t help in increasing sexual libido or prowess in bed. Decreased levels of sex hormones have a direct effect on the females sex drive.
The incidents of sexual concerns related to high levels of stress have been increasing through the years. As more and more women find themselves going to work and having the added responsibility of taking care of kids, home, and family, stress is fast becoming a normal part of everyday life. This is why taking a few minutes to do exercises or eating a healthy diet could go a long way not only in improving a person’s health but restoring much needed sexual energy.
Simple ways of managing stress
Simple massage. One of the effects of stress is that it increases muscle tension. Massages help to relax muscles and release tension in the body.
Breathing exercises. Stress can cloud the mind making it more difficult to concentrate and make decisions. Stressed people breath faster and doing breathing exercises could help normalize simple body functions such as breathing. Fast breathing increases levels of carbon dioxide in the body and deprives cells of much needed oxygen. By restoring a normal breathing pattern, oxygen and vital nutrients are distributed to the brain and muscles, relaxing and decreasing high levels of stress.
Talking with a friend. Voicing your concerns and talking about problems at work or at home can help you release tension and find solutions.
Exercise and a healthy diet. Keeping your body at its optimum health helps you cope better with stressful situations.
Sex can also be a wonderful way of managing stress. It does not only provide a temporary relief from troubling concerns but also helps release tension in the body. It also releases endorphins and other “feel good” hormones which lift the spirits and decrease harmful stress and anxiety.
