A New Year is all about new beginnings and forming positive habits, and what better way to kick off 2024 than by making self-love and solo-pleasure a top priority? During the hustle-and-bustle of our busy lives, we often forget to dedicate time and energy to ourselves, leaving us feeling overwhelmed, stressed and prone to burnout.

Therefore, this year let’s redefine self-care to encompass not just our physical and mental wellbeing but also our sexual fulfilment. Adding moments of self-pleasure into our routine can be a transformative act of self-love. Whether we’re exploring new fantasies, experimenting with self-touch or simply taking the time to connect with our own bodies - solo-sex can be an empowering act of self-care.

With this in mind, let’s find out why solo-sex is an important aspect of our self-care routine, whilst learning both basic solo-pleasure and more advanced masturbation techniques.

Why solo-sex is an important aspect of your self-care routine 

Solo-sex has a significant impact on both our physical and mental wellbeing. From a physical perspective, experiencing satisfying orgasms triggers the release of ‘feel-good’ hormones, such as endorphins which naturally enhance our mood, leaving us feeling good and improving our overall mood. Whilst the physiological responses during masturbation or solo-sex, such as increased blood flow and relaxed muscles can lead to better sleep and a stronger immune system.

Engaging in solo-pleasure also acts as a powerful stress-relief method. Taking moments for self-pleasure amid the chaos of daily life is a good way to relax and release any underlying tension. When we feel under pressure, our bodies release the stress hormone cortisol, and the act of orgasm can significantly reduce these cortisol levels, so by adding solo-sex and masturbation techniques into our self-care routine it can help us feel calmer and more at ease, acting as a natural-stress relief technique.

Therefore, as we leap into the New Year, adding solo-sex into our self-care routine can be a pleasurable and satisfying way for us to express love and care towards both our physical and mental wellbeing.

Solo Sex Techniques 

If it’s been a while since you’ve experienced the pleasure of solo-sex, we’re on hand to help guide you through some gentle techniques that can help enhance your self-love practice. 

Firstly, take the time to explore your body's responses through gentle caresses and light touches, allowing your hand to wander and paying attention to areas that feel good and heighten your sensations. 

Engaging in Fantasy 

Most of us love to engage in fantasy in some aspect or another, and by adding fantasy into our solo-sex experience it can add a new and highly pleasurable dimension. Our imagination has the power to transport us to realms of desire and excitement that may not be achievable in our everyday lives. Whether it’s exploring a forbidden scenario, visualising a favourite fantasy setting or indulging in a role-play scenario, our minds are a playground for creativity and desire. Through adding fantasy to our solo-pleasure routine, we can achieve a more pleasurable experience that caters to our deepest desires. 

Touching the clitoris 

The clitoris is a highly sensitive part of our body that can make our solo-sex experience more enjoyable. The external part of the clitoris is particularly sensitive, and when gently touched, either through light strokes, or circular motions, it can create an intense pleasurable experience. The more attention we give to our clitoris, the more sexually aroused we feel, leading to increased lubrication in the vagina and making the experience more heightened and pleasurable. As you add solo-sex to your self-care routine this New Year, remember to go at your own pace, explore what feels good and spend some time getting to know your own body through different masturbation techniques and self-pleasure practices. 

The Vagina

Whilst the clitoris is usually associated with pleasure, there’s a lot more to discover inside. Many people explore new sensations by experimenting with fingers or sex toys inside the vagina, using different rhythms or pressures to enhance solo-pleasure and finding out what feels satisfying. When we become sexually aroused, the vagina naturally lubricates, however, for some people they might need additional lubricant for an even more pleasurable experience. Therefore, take the time to experiment with either your fingers or sex-toys and unlock a whole new world of pleasurable sensations through different masturbation techniques.

Touching the glans

For those with a penis, the glans (or bell-end) is a sensitive area covered by a foreskin. Gently holding the penis and moving the foreskin back and forth over the glans replicates the sensations of penetrative sex. Using this masturbation technique allows the freedom to choose the pace and rhythm that feels personally satisfying, providing heightened stimulation and solo-pleasure. Experimenting with light strokes or using wet fingers offers different sensations. Just like touching the clitoris, paying attention to the glans can lead to increased arousal and a more pleasurable experience during solo-sex.

The key to a satisfying solo experience lies in understanding our own preferences and comfort levels. Exploring different touches, pressures and techniques allows us to understand our own pleasure points, adding to our own self pleasure journey. 

Advanced Solo Sex Techniques 

Once we’ve explored the basics of solo-sex techniques, exploring advanced techniques can become an exciting and satisfying part of our self-love routine. Whilst basic touch may provide comfort and pleasure, introducing variety can add a layer of excitement to our experience. This can be done through the use of sex-toys, lubricant, adding in different sensations, such as warming and cooling condoms or anal play. Opening the door to curiosity allows us to venture into uncharted territories of pleasure which can often be an exciting experience.

Sex Toys:

• Sex toys can add an exciting dimension to our solo-sex routine. From vibrators to penis rings, there are a wide range of options to cater to everyone's sexual needs. 
• Using different textures and shapes allows for different sensations and pleasurable experiences that can feel different than using hands or fingers.

Lubrication: 

• Lubrication can increase pleasure and sexual satisfaction by reducing friction and increasing comfort. Not only that, it can allow for smoother movements and a heightened sense of pleasure.
• There are various types of lubricants available; from light lube to tingly mint for that extra stimulation. 

Sensory Play:

• Adding different sensations and condoms, such as warming and cooling condoms can help stimulate the senses and add a different dimension to your pleasurable solo-sex experience. 

Anal Play:

• For those that love to explore anal play; taking the time to explore and understand personal comfort levels through the use of anal beads, plugs or other anal-play toys can be a good way of adding new pleasurable sensations and heightened enjoyment to your solo-sex experience.