How to Stop Jerking Off: Overcoming Excessive Masturbation
Masturbation is a normal part of sexual health, but excessive masturbation can lead to negative consequences, such as decreased sensitivity and fatigue. It can also become a compulsive behavior that can interfere with everyday life and relationships. This article aims to help those struggling with excessive masturbation overcome it by outlining six key steps.
Step 1: Identifying the Triggers
One of the first steps to overcoming excessive masturbation is identifying what triggers it. Triggers can include stress, boredom, loneliness, or even certain environments or stimuli. It is important to understand your triggers so you can avoid them or mitigate their effects.
Keeping a journal can be a helpful tool to identify triggers. Write down when you feel the urge to masturbate, the time of day, where you are, and what you were doing. You may start to notice patterns and identify your triggers.
Once you’ve identified your triggers, take steps to avoid or eliminate them. For example, if stress is a trigger, try practicing stress-reducing activities like yoga or exercise. If scrolling through social media leads to temptation, consider limiting social media use or uninstalling certain apps.
Step 2: Finding Alternate Hobbies
Rather than turning to masturbation when bored or lonely, find alternate hobbies to engage in instead. This will help you retrain your brain to seek pleasure in other activities and eventually lessen your desire to masturbate.
Some activities that could replace masturbation include: exercising, reading, playing video games, cooking, painting, or learning a new skill. Start by trying out a few different hobbies to see what you enjoy and what distracts you from the urge to masturbate.
If you struggle to find motivation to start a new hobby, try breaking it down into small goals. For example, if you want to learn how to cook, set a goal to make one new recipe per week. Over time, cooking will become a habit, and you’ll be spending more time on a new hobby instead of masturbating.
Step 3: Taking up Meditation
Stress and anxiety can contribute to excessive masturbation. Learning to manage stress and anxiety can thus be a key step in decreasing the urge to masturbate. One way to do this is through meditation.
Meditation has been shown to decrease anxiety, improve mood, and lower stress levels. By practicing meditation regularly, you can calm your mind and reduce the urge to masturbate.
To get started with meditation, find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. You may find it helpful to use a guided meditation app or website such as Headspace or Calm. Start with just a few minutes a day and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable with the practice.
Step 4: Setting up Achievable Goals
Setting goals can help you stay motivated and track your progress as you work to overcome excessive masturbation. Start by outlining both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals could include replacing masturbation with a new hobby, while long-term goals could be going a certain number of days without masturbating.
When setting goals, make sure they are achievable and specific. For example, setting a goal to not masturbate for a year may be too daunting. Instead, setting a goal to not masturbate for a week can be more achievable.
To help achieve your goals, it may be helpful to track your progress. Write down your goals and mark milestones as you reach them, such as after a week without masturbating. Celebrate your achievements and use them as motivation for reaching your next goal.
Step 5: Reinforcing Positive Behaviors
Reinforcing positive behaviors can be a helpful tool in overcoming excessive masturbation. One way to do this is by rewarding yourself for progress made.
Examples of rewards could include buying yourself a small gift, going out to dinner, or indulging in a special treat. Make sure the rewards are not counterproductive to overcoming the habit, however. For instance, treating yourself to pornography-related media would not be an appropriate reward.
Additionally, staying motivated and reinforcing positive behaviors can be achieved by keeping a positive outlook. Remind yourself of the progress achieved and the benefits of overcoming this habit. Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up. Learning to overcome excessive masturbation is a process, and setbacks are normal.
Step 6: Seeking Professional Help
In some cases, overcoming excessive masturbation may require professional help. If you struggle to overcome this habit despite your efforts, consider talking to a therapist or counselor.
A therapist or counselor can help you identify underlying factors that may be contributing to the habit and provide strategies for overcoming it. They can also help if you have other mental health concerns that may be related to the behavior.
When seeking professional help, make sure to find a therapist or counselor who is experienced in dealing with sexual addiction or compulsive behavior.
Conclusion
Excessive masturbation can be a difficult habit to overcome, but with patience and perseverance, it is possible. By following the six steps outlined in this article, you can take control of your behavior and break free from the negative consequences of excessive masturbation. Remember to be patient with yourself, reinforce positive behaviors, and seek professional help if needed.
