If you could describe happiness in a few words, which words would you choose? Something that feels good, something that keeps you healthy, something that feels meaningful, or something completely different?
Is it entertainment, is it health – what is it exactly? According to a study called the “nun study”, happiness impacts longevity in people, but more and more we are learning that pleasure can be a powerful pathway to health, wellbeing, and a better overall quality of life.
Continue reading to learn more about how pleasure impacts our health and happiness and how a sex therapist might help improve it all.
Pleasure Means a Whole Lot to the Mind and Body
If you ask a sex therapist in Seattle if pleasure affects our health and happiness, they’ll say “yes!” in a heartbeat. Sex therapists tend to explain how the ability to fuse pleasure into our lives can increase the sense of happiness, relieve stress, and aid in feeling connected to one’s body with a sense of comfort.
Moreover, if we succeed in cultivating pleasure for ourselves, and/or with others, it becomes self-generating. Like the well-worn path in the forest, the more we travel its twist and turns the easier it is to find the path in the future. When a person is able to safely explore and better understand pleasure, and how to generate it for themselves, they often are more able to feel grounded in their life and to feel a sense of ease rather than stress; this is where you start to see health benefits from pleasure.
The pleasure we experience is about sensation, while happiness is an emotion or reaction to the positive events we experience. What can happen to our emotions when we feel pleasure, one might ask? Pleasure can lead to feelings of connection and happiness, authenticity and less shame. Pleasure has the power to excite, connect, and empower us towards a healthier way of living and feeling.
If you and your partner have fallen into a rut — especially in long relationships — your connection can be ignited once again. Going to a sex therapist will help you to rediscover the excitement you once felt before stress and routine took over.
Can Experiencing Pleasure Bring Us Closer to a Healthier Body?
Our bodies are wondrous: the more we nourish our bodies with positive sensations, thoughts, and feelings the healthier we become. Conversely, the more stress and disconnection we experience, the more starved our bodies and minds will be of health and a sense of wellbeing.
By teaching our mind to seek happiness and find pleasure in the little things — be it a meaningful conversation with our significant other, a long walk in the morning, or simply being in the presence of a person close to us — we are creating a pattern that suits both our mind and body.
Psychologists have long discussed the connection between pleasure and happiness, coming to the conclusion that even small pleasures can trigger happy emotions, thus benefiting our mental health and our immune system. It’s no secret that stress takes a toll while pleasure and positive experiences serve to generate health and wellbeing.
Trust Your Intimacy Therapist in Seattle to Redefine Pleasure for You
Today’s stress-packed reality is leading us away from pleasure and happiness. But what if we turn the tables on stress and rediscover the powerful connection we once had with pleasure and happiness?
We are PNW Sex Therapy Collective — a team of dedicated therapists looking to help establish, or re-establish, a firm connection between our clients and their sense of pleasure and wellbeing. We are client-centered, process-driven, and research oriented to help provide the best and more impactful service possible for their clients.
We are a click away — find us on Instagram and book an appointment, today!
