Sexual performance anxiety is extremely common, especially among men. There is a great deal of pressure in society to perform in sexual situations, as a person’s ability to do so is judged as a part of their personality.
Such anxiety can lead to issues such as premature ejaculation or trouble getting aroused and these can contribute to further sexual performance anxiety.
The following article describes causes and solutions to sexual performance anxiety.
The causes:
Sexual anxiety can stem from a number of factors, and these include social pressure to satisfy one’s spouse, lack of confidence that stems from inexperience, and previous sexual encounters that turned out to be a nightmare.
Getting over the anxiety:
Tell your sexual partner about it
One of the worst things you can do when you have this type of performance anxiety is try to fight it without telling your partner. That might cause your anxiety to get much worse, and you’ll pay too much attention to how every movement feels. Strongly consider telling your partner before you make love that you have this anxiety and the feelings it causes. Most likely, your partner will understand, and the two of you can work on it together.
Make Love
Ideally, this partner is someone that you can continue being intimate with even in the long run. Experience, especially, with the same person is a cure for sexual anxiety. Experience reduces the fear that your sexual performance is going to hurt your sex life.
Don’t be shy to deliver some foreplay
While some men and women struggle with receiving foreplay when they have performance anxiety, they can still provide it. A great deal of performance anxiety relates to worries over how much the partner is enjoying the experience. You can reduce those worries by being more giving in terms of foreplay so that even if your sexual performance is not what your partner wanted, they can still be satisfied.
Exercise
Being confident in your body and your energy is also an important part of overcoming sexual anxiety. The more you are not thinking about yourself and how you look, the easier it is to engage in sexual activity without stress. Strongly consider picking up exercise to ensure you are as confident as possible.
Behavior practice
Finally, don’t forget about behavioral practice. This is more for men than women. But there are strategies (such as the stop/start) masturbation method that can improve your ability to make love confidently.
You can also consider this same type of behavioral practice while making love.
You and your partner can discuss strategies, and be open about needs and desires in order to have the best intimate moments possible.
Finally, you’ll absolutely need to control your overall anxiety. Those that have anxiety are far more prone to experiencing anxiety in the bedroom, and no amount of practice is going to take that away.