Sexclamations: 'Study Breaks' Relieve Pressures of Exams

By ERIN HILL

With exams just around the corner and other fast approaching deadlines, everyone on campus seems to be overloaded by stress. Sex is probably the last thing on your mind. Who can afford to waste precious, valuable time copulating?  While it is true that stress lowers your libido, strong scientific evidence shows that having sex is a tremendous, wonder working stress reliever.

Dr. James Coan, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, says that sex releases “feel-good hormones, including oxytocin and endorphins.” His research also shows that simply holding hands can alleviate stress.

At first, the idea of allotting time for fun “sexcapades” may seem contradictory.  Although it will consume a bit of your study time, making love to your partner and enjoying his or her presence will boost your mood and help you get a better grip on stress and other activities related to it. You may not find yourself “in the mood,” but spending time with your partner and getting a few sessions in the sack can ultimately be extremely rewarding and beneficial to you and your partner’s well being.

Most of you single ladies and gentlemen are probably feeling the short end of the stick, wallowing in the sadness of missing out on stress relieving sex sessions. While the odds may be against you finding a friend with benefits during exam week, you never know what could happen. Single people can still have a sex life.

Furthermore, you can still experience the benefits of sex, such as the release of endorphins, by masturbating. Better still is that masturbating relieves stress and does not include the possible negative effects of intercourse, such as sexually transmitted infections or unwanted pregnancies.

Lest we forget, plenty of other activities and things can produce endorphins and relieve stress, for example, laughing and chocolate. Take advantage of the “stress-free zones” during exam week or—my personal favorite—look at some LOLcats and have a few giggles. If you aren’t able to get any “nookie,” fear not! There are countless other ways to get through exam week.

If you do decide to de-stress with sex, be sure not to overindulge—you still have to write that paper and study for your exams. Rest assured, your tasks will be a little more bearable.