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Your Sex Life and Healthy Sexual Activity Remain Critically Important
Leisure Sciences, found that nearly half of online survey participants reported a decline in how much sex they were having compared with their prepandemic sex lives.
Not only is sex a great workout, safe and consensual sex can help us feel relaxed, ease anxiety and tension in the body, act as a natural sleep aid, and cause the brain to release hormones, including endorphins (the body’s natural uppers) and oxytocin (the so-called love hormone), says Shannon Chavez, PsyD, a sex therapist based in Beverly Hills, California.
“That chemical is what makes us desire cuddling even after sex,” explains Dr. Chavez, adding that this flood of hormones can also create a bond that triggers feelings of safety.