Do you have a masturbation routine? Insights from our community.
Have you ever considered how your masturbation sessions fit into your wider self-love routine? After all, our sexual wellbeing is just as important as our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, least because it can positively contribute to all three.
Or maybe you have your masturbation routine down; know exactly what you like and follow the same pattern to achieve your pleasure. These habitual steps can make us feel confident and more familiar with our bodies, whilst sticking to fixed techniques or positions allow us to recognise changes in them.
To recap, the idea of a masturbation routine can be defined in two ways;
- The regularity of our self-love practice (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Our accustomed pleasure formula
Both interpretations leave us with something to think about, so we asked our Smile Makers Instagram community about their self-loving. 38% who answered felt they had a masturbation routine, whilst the other 62% said not really. Be it part of a self-care regimen, or the ways we pleasure ourselves over and over again; the practice is meant to explore sexual enjoyment and help us deconstruct a performative approach to sex.
We know that female masturbation is a healthy habit – doing it can help us sleep better, boost our immune systems and reduce stress. All of which support our other life routines – it's a no brainer! More and more of us are catching on to this wellbeing lifehack, recognising that solo sex is a top priority when it comes to self-care. As Natalie from Style Me Sunday said on the Adulting Podcast ‘...connect with your body and give yourself pleasure; it’s good for mindfulness; it’s really good for confidence too. Give yourself more orgasms!’. Setting aside regular me-time, rather than squeezing in a play when we can, may create an opportunity for a more in-depth self-exploration of our mind and body.
Likewise, breaking the routine we are accustomed to invites a little sexual reflection. With no pressure to orgasm, finding ways to refresh it can strengthen our own sexual awareness.
Ultimately, our masturbation practice is deeply personal. We’re not saying that those spontaneous orgasms aren’t fun nor that sticking to what you know isn’t rewarding; we’re just giving you a little stimulation. Take inspiration from our community on ways to discover yourself through a masturbation routine.
Best masturbation positions.
Regularly making time for self-pleasure will mean you get a chance to find out what you really, really like. The most popular masturbation position from the survey was on our backs, a classic often with a twist; a hip lift or leg bend. Many of us also enjoy a lounged seating position or doggy! One person couldn’t explain it, but suggested standing up as an all-time favourite way to masturbate.
Let’s not forget, our solo sessions don’t have to be completely solo. Include some mutual masturbation in your routine, whether they are there in real life or with one hand sexting and the other between your legs, as one multi-tasking member mostly prefers.
New self-satisfaction positions.
One we get into our groove it can be hard to stray away from what we know we love. Two thirds of participants said they do not try new positions whilst masturbating. Take some tips from the favourites above or simply make a conscious effort to roll around a little to find a different way to lay.
If you want to mimic sex, and you love being on top, furniture can make a great straddle apparatus. For example, place a towel over an arm of a chair and initiate a grinding motion!
Best masturbation techniques.
Positions may be a little harder to mix up given the space around us, but techniques can be far more playful. 50% of respondents enjoyed trying out different ways to pleasure themselves with their hands. Shuffling our masturbation techniques is a great way to discover ourselves, and really understand how our body reacts to different touch. That’s right, it’s not all about the vulva. Try titillating between inner and outercourse to stimulate both your vulva and your erogenous zones.
Of course, a fun way to find new methods of touching ourselves is masturbation using vibrators. 48% of our community participants already switch up their masturbation accessories regularly. Having a selection to choose from can help with setting ourselves an orgasm routine, imagine a ‘Monday’s clit stimulator’ and ‘Saturday’s sensual session’ - just like those socks with the days of the week on, but much more fun!
Vibrators could still be intriguing to some of us, and we like to call that Vi-Curious. Gentle pleasure massagers make best friends for beginners; and just like true BFFs, will encourage us to open up and unwind.
