Masturbation. There, you said it. Luckily, masturbation isn’t as much of a hushed topic as it used to be. More people are understanding that masturbation isn’t something to be ashamed about because much like sex, almost everyone does it. According to Psychology Today, there was a study done in early 2009 that said 38% of women and 61% of men said they’d masturbated in the past year. Seeing that this was ten years ago, I assume that the statistics are actually a lot higher. I presume since it was a hushed topic that you didn’t talk about, some weren’t as honest as they could have been. Personally, I don’t believe that more people masturbate today than ten years ago. In fact, in 2019 studies, 89% of women and 95% of men say they masturbate. I believe it’s more accepted today than it was then. There’s an age-old joke that says 98% of the world is masturbating and the other 2% are lying. While it remains a joke, it actually seems like pretty solid facts.

Now that you know most everyone masturbates and you aren’t alone in your endeavors, how much is too much masturbation? There’s a lot to take into account when you consider this question. Are you in a relationship? Do you masturbate so much that you’re sore? Are you using masturbation as an escape from everyday life? When you delve into each of these questions you’ll be able to decide for yourself if you should slow down on your self-pleasures.

Are you satisfied with your life?

Masturbation is a great stress reliever. Do you masturbate so that you can hide from problems in your life? If you’re masturbating on a regular basis to ignore bills or problems at work or in your relationship, it may be time to slow down. Ignoring your problems won’t make them go away. The longer you continue to ignore them, the more stressed you’re going to be when you actually have to face them.

Use masturbation to help relieve some of your built-up stress. But don’t allow yourself to masturbate so much that you’re ignoring what’s stressing you out. Write that school paper you’ve been stressing about and then relieve and reward yourself by sliding under your blankets alone. Figure out those bills you’ve been ignoring and then hop in the shower with your trusty vibe in hand. Use masturbation as a stress reliever, not as a way to ignore your responsibilities.

Do you still have sex with your partner?

Aside from your masturbation, are you able to still have pleasurable sex with your partner? If you masturbate so much that you aren’t in the mood when your partner is then you may want to slow down. Are you unable to have enjoyable sex with your partner? Are you unable to reach climax like usual? If so, you may be masturbating too much. Masturbation shouldn’t put a strain on your relationship or your sex life with your partner. Having too much sex with yourself and not enough sex with your partner can cause many problems in your relationship. Your partner may decide if you’d rather masturbate with yourself instead of having sex with them that you’re better alone. Don’t let masturbation lead your relationship down the drain. If you’re able to masturbate on a regular basis and still perform in bed then you’re doing great. Pleasuring yourself is awesome but don’t forget you still have another person that you like to pleasure – and have pleasure you – also.

Are you bruised or sore?

Are you masturbating so much that your parts are bruised or sore? Masturbation is a fun and safe way to reach orgasm because no one knows your body better than you. But if you’re masturbating so much that you’re causing bruises or sores on your most intimate parts, you may want to hit the pause button. You don’t have to stop masturbating all together but just until you’ve healed. If you’re already bruised and you continue to masturbate, your wounds are going to get worse. Giving your wounds a chance to heal before flicking your bean jerking yourself off again will be more pleasurable in the long run. Yes, pain during sex play can be fun. However, pain on top of wounds may be more than your body needs. If you’re bruised or sore, give your body a chance to heal. Once you’ve healed, you’ll be more than ready to slide your hand toward the southern regions on your body.

Ultimately, no one can tell you that you’re masturbating too much. The only person that can make that conclusion is you. If you feel like masturbation is affecting your everyday life and your relationship, you can decide to slow it down. Everyone may have different boundaries so you can’t compare your masturbation routines with anyone else. Your friend may be able to masturbate in the bath and five minutes later hop in the shower with their partner. However, you may need a rest period for a couple of hours before being able to hit the sack again. In conclusion, don’t compare your private routines with anyone else’s. You do what’s best for you and they’ll do the same.