The 5 Benefits of Celibacy that can Result in a Better You
When your brain isn’t consumed with thoughts of sex it has the potential to open itself up to a number of ideas, beliefs, and principles that have been kept on the back-burner, including who you want to be intimate with.
Of course, there are a number of reasons why a person becomes celibate in the first place:
· It is part of a spiritual or religious journey;
· They were burned from previous unsuccessful relationships;
· Casual sex is no longer as enticing; and/or
· Dating someone simply for the pure enjoyment of their company, with little sexual appetite.
Whether you’re 10 months, 10 weeks, or 10 days celibate, you’ll find that your sexual energy can be channeled into a number of other more productive, and possibly even life-changing habits.
During 1:1 conversations with males and females between the ages of 24-32, I gathered some of the commonly-expressed positive benefits for those who are considering celibacy. These include increased creativity and productivity, learning/relearning habits, and the opportunity to cultivate more meaningful relationships. Through group discussions, we unpacked our experiences around the residual effects that sex had in our lives.
SB: Always do what’s best for you, and remember celibacy is a choice.
Get your creative juices flowing (no pun intended) –
Researchers suggest that petting an animal, soaking in a warm bathtub, and/or doing yoga are all physical activities that are proven to raise your levels of oxytocin – the same hormone that is released during sexual activity. In the spirit of getting creative, celibacy also quickly forces you to find other ways of being romantic and intimate with your partner.
Focus on relearning who you are –
We all have that single friend – male or female – who is salty about a relationship that didn’t go the way s/he wanted following an intimate encounter. We’ve all listened to their gripes with the hope that our friend will one day realize that they could easily change their situation by being more selective (unless, of course, you are that friend).
Despite thinking you can, not everyone can engage in casual sex without suffering negative after-effects. Sometimes being more exclusive is being true to who you are – so be that and don’t apologize for it.
“Oftentimes we get stuck in situations for sexual needs and neglect our values and how we look at ourselves.”
Be more productive –
In the Global North, we are overstimulated with imagery and constant messaging. Sex is literally everywhere, which can make it a powerful and appealing distraction. Remember that thing you’ve been wanting to do but you just haven’t found the time? Well, now that you’re celibate, you have all the time you need. Go crazy!
Protect your peace –
There was a survey disseminated by researchers to men and women aged 22-35, who self-admitted to being comfortable engaging in casual sex with no more than 2 different partners in the same time-span. Those who completed the survey indicated that they generally spent considerable amounts of time talking and thinking about their respective partner when they were sexually intimate. Alternatively, the amount of time dedicated to thinking about those partners who they were not sexually active with was significantly lower. Being aware of your thinking patterns often increases the likelihood of being intentional with how your time is spent. In turn, this could result in a reduction of the swarming thoughts in our heads that often feed the anxiety that so many of us battle with.
Develop more meaningful relationships –
When you have the opportunity to trade intimate time for more meaningful moments, you might discover things about yourself and your values. Above all, you can reevaluate how you’ve viewed sex in the past, how you see it as a beautiful aspect of your future, and what selecting a partner looks like without the added pressure of sex.