10 Tips to Take Your Masturbation Session to the Next Level
It’s time for self-pleasure summer – who’s in?! We know that summer is nearing its end, but luckily any season is a great season to enhance your solo play. We’re coming at you today with 10 masturbation tips to take your solo sessions to the next level, as well telling you 3 of the top reasons why masturbating is really good for you. This is a judgement-free zone, so whether you already feel pretty comfortable masturbating or you’re still a little new to the game, we hope that you leave this article feeling excited to spice up your solo time!
3 Reasons Why Masturbating is Good For You
Before we dive into all the sexy tips we’ve got for you (we like to do a little bit of teasing of our own ;) ), we wanted to quickly go through 3 reasons why masturbating is good for you, both physically and mentally. In case you need any more reasons than, well, it just FEELS good!
1. It gives you the chance to freely figure out what you like
First, and probably most important: masturbating gives you total freedom to figure out what you like & don’t like, in a safe, comfortable, judgement-free zone. When you’re sexually active for the first time, it can be really challenging to learn how to voice what you want if you don’t really know what you want. And even if you do know what you want, it can still be really hard to voice that in the middle of a heated moment, and even scary at first!
This is why it can be GREAT to masturbate before you become sexually active, and as you grow into your sexuality. Learning what you love, like, dislike, and reallyyyy dislike in a safe and completely comfortable environment will have a major impact when it comes to being sexually intimate with a partner. You have as much time as you want to play around and have fun, without having to be conscious of another person.
Even if you have been sexually active for a while, maybe you’re slightly interested in trying something new, like anal – but you’re too scared to do it with a partner yet. Start playing around with a finger in there when you masturbate, and bring a butt plug in when you’re ready!
Or maybe, if you have a vagina, you feel like you have NEVER managed to quite find your G-spot (and nobody else has, either). Solo sessions are the perfect time to do it, whether you’re using your fingers or a toy of some sort. Maybe you’ll discover that you don’t even enjoy how G-spot stimulation feels – so now, you can bring that knowledge into your next partnered experience (or now you just know for yourself in the future)!
2. It’s 100% safe
Masturbation is also awesome because it is 100%, totally, completely safe. Because a partner isn’t involved, there is zero chance of getting pregnant or contracting an STI! If you’ve read our blog post about how to have safer sex, then you should know that, unfortunately, there’s no way to have 100% safe sex with a partner. Even if you use condoms, there’s still a chance of pregnancy, and if you don’t use any protection, then there is always a risk of STI’s. If you’re in need of a little release but aren’t ready or able to commit to having as safe of sex as possible, masturbation may be a great alternative to partnered sex for now.
3. It can reduce stress & help you sleep
Did you know it’s been scientifically proven that masturbation can actually reduce stress, AND help you sleep better?! Say less – we’re in.
There has been a TON of research done on masturbation, showing that masturbation (orgasm, specifically) triggers the release of various chemicals & hormones involved in our brains’ pleasure center. A few examples from one study include dopamine (a.k.a. the “happiness” hormone), oxytocin (the “love” hormone), serotonin (a neurotransmitter that helps mediate optimism & satisfaction), and endorphins (“feel-good” chemicals that help to reduce pain). How cool is it that not only does having an orgasm make us feel oh-so-satisifed – but it can actually positively affect our brains afterward?!
And back in 2019, 778 adults were surveyed in a study that found that there was a clear connection between better sleep and orgasms, with participants stating that masturbation either helped them fall asleep faster or improved sleep quality. We don’t know about you, but we could always use higher-quality sleep, especially if it comes with an orgasm on the side ;)
10 Masturbation Tips for Maximum Pleasure
Now, let’s get into what you came here for: 10 tips for making your next masturbation session extra enjoyable!
1. Make it a judgement-free zone
First off, it’s really important that your masturbation sessions are totally, completely judge-free. This is the time for you to experiment, to play around, to try new things, to picture your wildest fantasies – and there is NO need to judge yourself for any of it! As long as what you’re doing is safe, doesn’t harm anyone else, and makes you feel good, then absolutely go for it. It may take some practice, but be kind to yourself and remind yourself that you are so deserving of shame-free, guilt-free, judgement-free pleasure.
2. Set the mood
If it takes you a little longer to get turned on, or you can’t quite get there at the drop of a hat (most of us can’t, don’t worry), then have a little fun and set the mood! It can be hard to immediately decompress and get both your mind & body relaxed enough to reach orgasm, so intentionally creating a peaceful environment can be really helpful. Maybe you want to light a candle to enjoy a delicious smell in your room, maybe you’d prefer to have the lights dimmed or completely off, maybe you’d feel more relaxed with cozy blankets underneath you than just a sheet. Some people like to have a quiet room, while others like to have music going in the background. You can also TOTALLY wear lingerie or somethin’ a little sexy by yourself – no partner needed! Put on your favorite piece(s) that make you feel like your best, most confident self, and get ready to enjoy some well-deserved “me time.” Be sure to check out out blog post with 8 lingerie shopping tips!
3. Get creative
If you have a typical masturbation routine you usually follow (e.g. you tend to use just your finger to stimulate your clit, or you always opt for G-spot or prostate stimulation right away), don’t be afraid to get creative & change it up! This could look like bringing toys into the equation for the first time (which we’ll talk about more next), reversing your typical routine (e.g. if you usually go from clit to G-spot stimulation, start with some G-spot fun first), combining two different toys that you wouldn’t normally think to use together, or simply switching up the position you masturbate in (moving from laying on your back to laying on your stomach, for example). Remember, there is NOBODY watching and there is zero pressure to perform for anybody – it’s only you in here!
4. Bring in toys
This is one of our favorites (obviously, being that one of the main things we sell are sex toys)! We are HUGE fans of using toys to enhance your pleasure in the bedroom, be it during solo or partnered sex. If you’ve never used a sex toy before and are used to relying on your own hands/fingers, then it might be a little intimidating shopping for a toy for the first time, and it may even feel unnatural using it for the first time if you’re not used to it. It’s important to remember that using sex toys does NOT mean you/a partner are a “failure,” or that you can’t “do it well enough on your own:” the sole purpose of sex toys is to bring you as much pleasure as possible, and who wouldn’t want that?!
We’ve got plenty of sex toys in-shop that are great for beginners, so here’s what we’d recommend checking out depending on the type of stimulation you’re looking for:
If you’re curious and want to try visiting a sex shop to do some exploring, don’t be scared!
And if you’re looking to introduce toys into partnered sex, we recommend reading our blog post about How to Bring Sex Toys Into Your Relationship!
5. Read or listen to erotica
If you want a little help getting turned on, and/or want to play out one of your fantasies in your head while you masturbate, we definitely recommend reading or listening to erotica. There are a ton of apps and websites out there nowadays that produce ethical and oh-so-sexy erotic audio stories, as well as ones that have literary erotica readily available for you to read! This is a perfect way to tease yourself by getting a little hot & heavy before you even start touching yourself, or just go ahead and get started right away once you hit “play” or turn the page – we wouldn’t blame you.
6. Do your best to relax
We know this is easier said than done, but masturbating is a great chance to practice relaxing during sexual activity. One of the biggest problems that people run into during sex is stress or performance anxiety, which lends itself to making your body even more stressed – and therefore not in a great state to achieve a satisfying orgasm. Here’s an example of a simple breathing trick you can practice that can lead to better orgasms, or you can just practice intentional, slow, deep breathing while you masturbate, especialy when you’re about to orgasms. Notice when your body tenses up naturally, and practice a little bit of mindfulness & meditation to get your body back to a relaxed state!
Speaking of relaxation, no matter how relaxed your body is feeling or how wet you feel, you should always be using lube with any sort of penetration. Here are some of our favorite lubes that we’d recommend!
7. Don’t rush it
On that same train of thought, use masturbation sessions to practice slowing things down. It can be SO easy to try to rush your orgasms, both during solo and partnered sex, especially if you’re unconsciously pressuring yourself to get there ASAP. It may be harder to be mindful of this during partnered sex, so practicing it during solo play will help tremendously! This could look like spending more time on some foreplay/teasing (more on that later), swapping toys every few minutes, or touching yourself in different places. You can also practice what’s called the “edging” method, which is basically when you stop yourself from achieving orgasm right before you get there, wait around 30 seconds, and start stimulating yourself again. You do this over and over, as many times as you want (or are able to!), and it can help make your orgasm more intense as well as make your masturbation session last longer.
8. Try new positions
A super easy way to switch up your masturbatino routine is to try new positions! Maybe you always resort to laying in bed on your back, using a dildo on yourself – try sitting on your knees and laying your chest down instead, using the dildo from behind. Or maybe you love to use your vibrator while sitting up against your headboard – switch it up and lay on your stomach so you can grind against the vibrator a bit instead. And speaking of grinding, you HAVE to check out one of our new favorite toys on the market: the VibePad Grinding Vibrator. Say goodbye to sitting atop a pillow and desperately trying to get that friction you’re craving, and hello to a totally unique, vibrating toy created exactly for that purpose!
9. Tease yourself
We all know that foreplay is crucial when it comes to having great partnered sex, especially for people with vaginas, and it should be just as important during your solo sessions! Take time to tease yourself instead of getting right into it by touching different parts of your body, listening to an erotic story without touching yourself, playing around with your different erogenous zones, and overall just enjoying yourself. Let it be fun, and let yourself play – you could even give yourself a bit of a sensual massage with a massage oil like this one!
10. Practice staying present
This one is similar to #6, and just as important: use your masturbation sessions to practice being present. Whether you like to mediate or practice breathing exercises in your daily life or not, masturbating gives you a great opportunity to intentionally be present in the moment and enjoying every touch & every sensation to the fullest! If you’re good at being present during your solo time, it’ll be a lot easier to do so during partnered sex, as well.
BONUS TIP: Do it in the shower
We’re HUGE fans of sexy time in the shower (as long as you use the proper lube for penetration, since water actually dries out your natural lubrication!), and that includes masturbating! Whether you want to bring your favorite vibe into the bathtub, stick a suction-cup dildo on the wall, or use your good old-fashioned showerhead (OR the fancy new Womanizer Wave Shower Head, made specifically for pleasure in the shower!), the shower is a perfect place to have some private fun. It’s an especially great option if you live with other people and need a quiet place to have your solo time! Check out this blog post for some of our top tips for great shower sex & a list of our favorite waterproof sex toys.
Now go have some fun!! And if you want to read more articles like this one to hear our best sex-related tips, check out a few of our recent favorites below: