Everyone's heard of the deleterious effects stress can have on the body. It's a common trope to hear about a businessman who was so overworked that he keeled over his desk due to a heart attack.
And very few people are strangers to just how devastating financial stress can be. Financial stress can be as nagging as not being able to fix a leak, and as serious as not knowing where your next meal is coming from.
But did you know that financial stress can affect your sex drive?
It's sad but it's true: stress and libido are related to each other. When you're feeling the burdening effects of the world of economics, you can be suffering in bed.
To fight the hydra that is financial stress and libido, you're going to need to understand it at its source. This article will walk you through all you need to know about stress and sex drive, and provide some solutions to help you take your life back.
Financial stress can affect your sex life a little at a time building up without you noticing.
When someone's dealing with financial stress, they tend to overwork. Late hours spent at the office, seeing extra clients, or at an extra job could mean there's quite literally no time for sex. The time you do have to yourself you'll most likely want to rest.
But it needn't just be extra work. Financial planning, staying up at night looking for cheaper houses, trying to sell furniture, and other burdens that come with financial stress can also take up time that contributes to exhaustion.
Here comes the big kicker. Stress doesn't just affect what happens around you, it changes you at your core.
Several ways.
A study published in 2013 showed that women who were shown erotic films while under the effects of stress reacted to them less, due to the presence of cortisol in the body.
Cortisol is your body's security system. It's the hormone your body releases when you're undergoing stress, to make sure that you work to get out of the situation you're in. The body is smarter than we give it credit for; it knows what it wants.
But too much cortisol for too long can have devastating effects on the body. It can affect sleep, the heart, weight gain — even libido. The study shows that while genital arousal occurs, the psychological stimulation just doesn't happen for those undergoing stress; they get distracted, they think about other things, they just can't get into it.
The systems of your body are connected, and they can do amazing things in times of peril. If your body feels that you need more cortisol to get you out of your current situation, it will use up our sex hormones to produce more.
On top of this, having less money might be your malnourishment. This doesn't mean you're not eating per se, but it could mean you're not eating the right foods. A lack of testosterone-rich foods is one of the biggest weapons in the battle between stress and male libido.
Unfortunately — with the human body — when it rains, it pours. If you've gone through a time where you've had high cortisol or faced a significant degree of malnourishment, your body might get used to having that lowered sex drive.
Our brain holds on to memories, long after we think we're done with them. If you went through a period of lowered sex drive because of physical symptoms, your brain might keep your libido down even after you've recovered. Your brain might not be able to tell the difference and be operating to keep you safe.
There's no way around it — stress kills libido. Whether it's for immediate purposes, such as high levels of cortisone in the body, or secondary purposes, such as increased levels of exhaustion and fighting, at the end of the day, less sex is less sex. And less sex can take a toll on the relationship; so what can you do?
Fortunately, there are ways out for those who are suffering from low sex drives. Let's take a look at some of the ways you can work through this issue.
We understand that relationships require sacrifice, and rough financial times can mean work is the prerogative — but you need to take care of yourself.
This could be as simple as carving out some time to read, play a video game, listen to music — whatever you enjoy the most. Develop a hobby if you have the time. Take up an artistic pursuit.
Taking care of yourself will help you find a purpose in your life, and through that, you'll reconnect with your partner.
This might be tough to hear since one of the symptoms of stress is insomnia. However, if you're not making time for sleep, you're not giving yourself a fighting chance.
You may be staying long nights at your business trying to work things out, but the fact of the matter is, less sleep means less efficiency. If you carve out time for sleep, you'll better be able to problem-solve, and better be able to get yourself out of your financial rut.
Exercise is one of the best ways to get rid of stress. It's the most immediate way to "blow off steam". There's nothing that'll get rid of worries faster than putting your body into that shocking post-workout state of blissful recovery.
Exercising with your partner is a great way to hold yourself accountable. It's also a great way to reconnect. When you're working out you only need to worry about what's right in front of you, which can help you establish intimacy again.
There are plenty of free and low cost ways to exercise, with millions of Youtube videos to work out to, music to dance to or simply going outside and running or walking more.
If you're in trouble or not sure what to do, tell your partner, and together find a solution form a trusted expert. There will be a way to get on top of things, and it'll help ease the stress that's causing your issues.
Our program is based on science and is dedicated to helping people like you regain their feelings of sexual desire. We believe that libido problems deserve just as much attention as any other. We help you solve the issue at its source — the human body and mind.
Finances can have huge effects on stress levels and stress levels can have huge effects on libido. Stress and libido are intricately linked, and in order to maintain your sex life, you're going to need to work with your partner, body, and mind.
The road to restoring your libido is hard, but it's not impossible. Listen to your body, and you're well on your way.
For more information, check out our app and join us today.
