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Experts Are Saying Masturbating At Work Is A Legit Stress Reliever

Updated September 8, 2021

Workplace stress is real, even for those of us who love our jobs. There are still demands on our time and high expectations for performance, and they're always going to be there, even with the most understanding of employers. So, managing stress is paramount.

Everyone has their go-to method for blowing off some steam, whether it's spa days, working out, jogging, video games, or food. Some experts are throwing another quick fix into the mix too, suggesting a little bit of self-love to help you through the day.

When it comes to relieving stress at work, some experts are giving masturbation a big thumbs up.

As Mark Sergeant, a senior lecturer in psychology at Nottingham Trent University told Metro, taking a break for a little me time would be "very effective at work" and a "great way to relieve tension and stress."

He went a step further than just squeezing out the workday blues, however.

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Sergeant suggested that a self-play date toward the end of the day might be motivational too, serving as a nice reward for workers who manage to cross off everything on their to-do list for the day.

Another psychologist, Dr. Cliff Arnall, agreed with Sergeant's reasoning.

"I would expect a masturbation policy to result in more focus, less aggression, higher productivity, and more smiling," he said. "Certainly taking a masturbation break for boredom or an escape would increase work focus." Of course, the idea of official masturbation breaks comes with some concerns.

For one thing, not everybody can get the job done during a 15-minute break in the bathroom at work.

Let's face it, setting can be important at such times, so if you need to break out the incense and candles and lay back on a nice bedspread, the workplace isn't ideal for lightsaber practice with Captain Solo. And if you can't get all the way to O-town, you're going to be more frustrated when you get back to your desk, not less.

Also, as Sergeant noted, introducing and condoning what is undeniably sexual behavior into a work setting does open a large can of worms.

Or might tempt too many people down a slippery slope, if you prefer. Either way, there's a high potential for it to lead to increased harassment in the workplace, which is not good no matter how you measure it.

Mind you, surveys have shown that, for many, many workers out there, the idea of taking a masturbation break already rubs them the right way.

Back in 2015, a Time Out New York survey found that 39% of workers were already taking their workday stress release into their own hands. That's up from the 31% that a survey by Glamour found in 2012.

It's just not officially sanctioned by their superiors, like a smoke break would be.

And you can't say it's not healthier than smoking. But as some of the folks surveyed said, a choke (the chicken) break isn't everybody's idea of a good time. "Our men's room usually looks like a bomb went off in there," one person told Time Out. "I'd probably get a staph infection if I did that."

Another unexpected concern sprang up in another survey, too.

Speaking with Vice, a woman they referred to as "Jenny" cautioned that it's best to think twice before working yourself over. "Not because of morals or propriety or whatever," she said, "but because masturbation isn't something you want to do hastily at the same place you hate going to every day."

h/t Metro

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