Sex is an important part of life, but it has been taken off the agenda during the pandemic.
A new survey has found that Brits are too stressed out to get freaky in the bedroom, with one in 10 not having had sex since lockdown first started back in March.
The research, which was conducted by the wellness brand CBII, investigated why people have lost their libido – with anxiety and loss of sleep at the top of the list – but also what they have replaced their sex life with.
An overwhelming majority (63%) said that the TV now provides their release.
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Others are reading (26%), listening to music (25) or turning to comfort food or alcohol (24%).
Among those who are having sex, one in four feel their sex life has been affected by the pandemic (25%), with those in a relationship or married saying they now only have sex once or twice a month.
The figures follow a different study by the therapy app Blueheart, released last week, which showed that over half of Brits worry they will never have sex again – with 41% actively trying to avoid it by making themselves ‘unattractive’ to their other half.
As for the TV taking the attention, it’s not just Netflix or Amazon Prime shows and movies that occupy our time.
Over half (62%) of Brits are focused on watching the news before going to bed, and 47% admit to ‘doomscrolling’ on their phones – spending hours filtering through bad news, which in turn has a negative effect on their libido.
Some footage is more distressing than others; with images of prime minister Boris Johnson and chief medical officer for England, Chris Witty bringing on the most anxiety (94%).
But packed London Underground trains (74%) and general imagery of PPE is also causing a negative imapct.
There are, of course, other factors to consider to the nation’s lack of sex.
Many people in relationships are currently not allowed to have sex with their partners (if they are living apart and are based in tier 2 or tier 3 areas), while single people have been banned from having sex unless they start an ‘established’ relationship.
If lack of libido or sex is causing you anxiety or stress, it may be worth speaking to your GP or contact a sexual health clinic for advice on how to cope with it.
And in the meantime, there’s the option of exploring your own body and focusing on masturbation – which is known to help improve sleep and lower stress levels.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/18/apparently-brits-have-replaced-sex-with-watching-tv-in-lockdown-13440455/
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