Whether you are in a relationship or not, every man enjoys solo play. Masturbation is a common activity to explore your body and feel the pleasure of sexual arousal. Men usually masturbate by rubbing their hands up and down on their genitalia. 

Though masturbation was considered a sin in the earlier centuries, it has now proved to be healthy as it increases the levels of testosterone and hence the sperm count. It also relieves stress, enhances your mood, releases sexual tension, and improves your sleeping habits. But, excessive masturbation can hinder your daily life and relationship. A fun activity to boost sex drive should never become an addiction.

Read the entire article to know why and how to stop masturbating, if masturbation has become an uncontrollable affair in your life. 

Causes of Excessive Masturbation

Sexologists have sorted out several causes for excessive masturbation. The addiction may be due to the following reasons.

• Too much mental stress, anxiety, and depression
• Emotional pain due to grievous life happenings
• An uncontrollable urge for sex
• Broken relationships
• Restricted views on sexuality
• Poor sex education

Why Stop Masturbating?

Though excessive masturbation does not have harmful side effects on the body, it still affects your mental peace. According to religious and cultural beliefs, masturbation is an immoral practice. When you are addicted to masturbation, you may feel guilty and ashamed for not being able to control your urges. 

In rare cases, masturbating too much causes dryness, skin irritation, and swelling in your penis. Excessive masturbation can decrease sexual sensitivity in men since the penis loses its sensation when it is gripped harder. If you do not limit your sexual urges, you might end up losing sexual sensitivity.

Excessive masturbation disrupts your daily routine as your mind is preoccupied with nothing other than masturbating all the time. When you spend too much time masturbating, you may cancel important and family events and friends’ parties. It might spoil your relationships and interrupt your studies or work. 

If you fail to take measures to stop masturbating, it may lower your productivity and lead to negative emotions. 

How to Stop Masturbating?

Nothing is achieved in a matter of hours. Learning to stop masturbating may seem to be a very slow process but it is attainable. It requires a few steps and strategies.

We are here to guide you towards a normal life with a list of seven tips to stop masturbating.

1. Quit pornography

Pornographic films that present sexual matter is the main cause of sexual arousal in the viewers. It is a driving agent that forces you to masturbate a lot. Avoid watching pornographic films and videos and discard all the pornographic images and magazines you possess. 

If it’s hard for you to take preventive measures, try following these:

• Shift your computer to a public room and avoid using your mobile or laptops inside a locked room.
• Install software that blocks the access of porn websites. This method works out well.

2. Consult a doctor

When masturbation is affecting your life negatively, it is wise to seek professional help from a doctor. It is arduous to fight it alone. You shouldn’t feel ashamed or guilty to discuss your problem with a doctor or therapist. The stress due to excess masturbation may lead to obsessive-compulsive disorders when you fail to talk it out. 

There are numerous counselors, sexologists, psychiatrists, and therapists who are ready to provide a helping hand to the ones struggling. Discuss your problems and your trouble times. Analyzing the time you masturbate a lot, they will come up with new strategies and activities that help to stop masturbating. Visit your therapist quite often (once a week initially) to talk about your improvements and struggles.

In severe cases, they may even provide therapeutic drugs that can dwindle sexual desires. 

3. Try something new

Psychiatrists usually advise you to find new outlets to pour all your energy and sweat into. Trying your hand at those new outlets can help replace your habit of masturbating too much. 

Manage your schedule and keep yourself busy all the time. Frame new goals, jot them down in your diary and indulge in the process of achieving those. Master a new skill such as:

• A new language that can assist you in future
• Playing an instrument like the piano or guitar
• Writing literary pieces like poetry and personal essays.
• Drawing or painting pictures
• Cooking varieties of food
• Taking a singing lesson

Trying any of these can reroute your thoughts. You can also take up new hobbies such as:

• Gardening when you are free
• Reading novels
• Listening to music
• Practicing yoga
• Dancing
• Photography

4. Interact with people

In today’s modern world, people are obsessed with their own lives and responsibilities that they have forgotten the true meaning of being human. You can hardly find people socializing nowadays due to the reign of electronic gadgets and the internet. 

“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” When you do not communicate and interact a lot, you feel a state of loneliness that may lead to excessive masturbation. Socializing diverts your mind and keeps you focused on fruitful things. Try attending every family gathering, party, and friends’ meet-up to engross yourself in the real world. 

5. Reduce your alone time

People are right when they say mistakes happen you are alone. When you are alone, you may feel the desire to masturbate. To stop masturbating, you must fix a mindset to take measures to improve your thoughts. Avoid locking yourself in a room or spending too much time alone. 

If you are left home alone, visit the nearby sports club or any kind of recreation club and involve in activities that can preoccupy your sexual thoughts. Visit the museum or the zoo and learn about the history of the artifacts and the animal species that are showcased in the respective places.

6. Exercise regularly

It is vital to take care of your body physically and mentally. Exercise regularly to keep you mentally fresh and strong. Practice simple exercises such as jogging, swimming, and cycling to combat stress. Meditation and mindfulness amplify your self-confidence and determination.

Go for a walk along the roadsides or at a park and try to grasp the beautiful environmental happenings. Listen to the birds chirping and watch the dogs cuddling their puppies. Breathe in some fresh air that boosts positivity in your thoughts.

Shifting your thoughts to following a good diet and working out to maintain a good figure may help you to get rid of sexual instincts so that you stop masturbating.

7. Find a support group

Remember that you are not alone in this. There are several trusted support groups whose vision is to help sexually recalcitrant people. They provide online training and meditation camps that help to alleviate your sexual behavior. 

Enrolling in a support group makes you feel comfortable because you will find so many people who are struggling like you. This helps in reducing the guild you have built up for a long time. You can comfortably express your concerns and make strategies to stop masturbating.

It’s not onerous to stop masturbating. All you need is a little bit of patience and commitment because such behaviors cannot be treated overnight. Challenge yourself to bring out a new version of yourself!\

Also read: 7 Tips To Stop Masturbating