Body and Soul: Stress-Relieving Sex

You know that sex is good—especially for bonding, relaxing, and relieving stress.

But did you know that if your husband picks up a mop, you might both get more nookie? Men are doing more housework than ever before, but its still about 20% less than the amount done by women. “A woman is held to a higher standard for the way her home looks, which is why she stresses out more when its messy,” says Joshua Coleman, PhD, author of The Lazy Husband. Most women arent in the mood for sex when they feel overwhelmed, Coleman says, but the odds of having the time and energy for it go up when men help out around the house. And, according to Coleman, this also raises the desire factor in another way: “To the wife, the husband helping with housework not only reduces stress but also can feel like an act of affection.”

Get more time for sex by saying to your partner, “Hey, after you do the dishes, lets go make love.” If he doesnt catch on to the trade-off, theres nothing wrong with telling him that too much stress (and, yes, that includes housework) means no sex for him.

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