There's a seemingly never-ending list of priorities that fills a woman's day. From school to work to paying bills to nailing an interview to taking care of her kid to taking care of friends to everything and anything in between, women are (usually) very guilty of caring about others more than they care about themselves. Mothers, especially, are told by an unforgiving society that motherhood and martyrdom are synonymous, and in order to be a "good mom," you must sacrifice absolutely everything.
This, clearly, is just not true. In fact, every woman (whether she's a mother or not) would benefit from putting herself first. One way to do that? Putting orgasms at the top of that intimidating priorities list.
Whether you're having a little help with one or multiple partners, or you're spending some quality time with yourself, orgasms have so many benefits — physically, emotionally and mentally — that it's a shame we're taught that the female orgasm is "allusive" and "difficult." I mean, we're mostly taught this by men who simply don't take the time to learn about a woman's anatomy and the multiple ways she can be pleasured, so...grain of salt.
Just because it is difficult for some people to help a woman achieve orgasm, doesn't mean that the female orgasm is some mythical, otherworldly concept that cannot be experienced on the regular. (In fact, who even says you need a partner? No one, that's who.) No, the orgasm can be made a normal, consistent part of a woman's life. Just because the patriarchy shuns women for embracing and expressing their sexuality, doesn't mean that sex and orgasms and pleasure are any less important to daily life. Here are 9 reasons why every woman should make orgasms a high priority, because feeling good is just damn necessary.
It Can Help You Fight Off A Cold
There are numerous health benefits to reaching orgasm on the regular. Perhaps one of the most useful, is the boost an orgasm gives to your infection-fighting cells. In fact, it can increase your immune system by an impressive 20%, and help you fight off that cold your kid or coworker or random bus stranger probably (definitely) gave you. Simply put, an orgasm is a healthy, natural, fun alternative to over-the-counter medicine.
It Can Cure Pain
Our pain threshold increases during orgasm, making it easier to block pain. In fact, according to a 2013 study published in the journal Cephalalgia, orgasms can cure cluster migraines and severe headaches. The natural chemicals released during orgasm — dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin — all work together to increase pleasure, and decrease pain. Your sex life is like a morphine drip, only healthier.
They Can Make You Happier
Not only do the natural chemicals released during orgasm eliminate pain, they also make you happier. Dopamine, a brain chemical responsible for our pleasure and motivation pathways, is released into the brain during sex, which tells our body that, yep, we're having a hell of a time and this is fun and all is right in the world. Coupled with endorphins, the chemical responsible for blocking pain and controlling emotion, and after an orgasm, you'll feel nothing short of euphoric.
They Could Help With Insomnia
In the book The Orgasm Answer Guide, a study found that 32% of 1,866 U.S. women masturbate at night in order to fall asleep. Again, these are neurochemicals hard at work, released during orgasm that facilitate a sense of sleepiness or tiredness. So, if you're thinking about trying your hand at a sleeping pill, try your hand at masturbation (pun intended) first.
They Can Help You Stay Balanced
According to The Sex MD, an orgasm, "mobilizes an energy that you would not normally have access to otherwise." While women are, sadly, told to stifle their sexuality (by a society that then turns around and profits off it), the ability to be in tune with your sexual energy is vital to a healthy, balanced life. Dr. Castellanos, a psychiatrist specializing in sex therapy, bio-identical hormones, and functional medicine consultation, goes on to explain that "orgasms enhance a woman’s creativity which can translate into a world of difference, not only in her problem solving, but in her life trajectory as well."
They're Body Positive
Orgasms have been described as, "a way of making friends with our bodies", and boy, is that the truth. Whether someone is helping you achieve orgasm, or you're giving yourself one; learning about your body well enough that you can orgasm is a lesson in body positivity. Not only do we learn to love our bodies when we orgasm, we also "let go," and allow our bodies to take over and do what is only natural, in order to orgasm. Orgasms give us a chance to trust our bodies, something we've all too often (as women) been taught not to do.
They Relieve Stress
Just like exercise, orgasms have been known to relieve stress. Again, it's those awesome, feel-good chemicals hard at work. As they're released into the brain, they give us a natural high that works to combat the stresses of every day life. The best part? The less stressed you are, the easier it is to orgasm. So, the more you orgasm and the more feel-good chemicals are released into your brain, the easier it will be for you to do it all over again.
They Help You Feel Connected To Your Partner (Or Yourself)
Whether a partner is giving you regular orgasms, or you're giving regular orgasms to yourself, you're no doubt feeling more connected with whomever is pushing your pleasure buttons. If you're in a relationship, regular orgasms and sexual activity can help keep the romance alive (sidebar: don't you love how the language commonly used to talk about committed relationships makes it sound like they're perpetually on life support?), your partnership strong, and deep feelings alive. If you're giving yourself orgasms, you're learning to love yourself (literally and figuratively) and becoming more in-tune with your body.
They Feel Amazing
I mean, really, do you need another reason? Orgasms are just awesome, you guys. They feel fantastic, they're fun to reach and seriously, it's amazing that we aren't having multiple orgasms every damn day. (And if you are, keep up the good work!)
