The best way to feel good about yourself is to make yourself feel good.
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Whether you're in a relationship or single, enjoying your body for your own sake can help you reconnect with your internal sensuality and capacity for pleasure.

Self-confidence is the most powerful aphrodisiac. So, how do you start loving yourself from an authentic place?

Affirmations, mantras, and meditations can help, but in my humble opinion, the best way to feel good about yourself is to make yourself feel good. So, I'm challenging you to set aside private time to explore self-stimulation every day for the next seven days.

Masturbation floods your nervous system with endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin — the bonding hormone — even when climax is not reached. With frequent masturbation you’re relaxing your brain and therefore your body, which can improve digestion, balance your hormones, and aid in weight management.

When you masturbate regularly, you’ll feel better about your body, because your body is bringing itself pleasure. It’s hard to not be impressed by your body when let yourself feel what she's capable of doing! (Side note: I call my body “she” rather than “it." I feel like it contributes to a healthier, closer relationship.)

The world tells us that body criticism is how we keep our cravings and our bodies in check. In truth, though, when you recognize your capacity for pleasure, you'll be more inclined to keep it performing at the highest level. That will be reflected in your food choices, your self-talk, and your habits.

Another benefit of masturbation? Knowing how your body works and what really turns you on makes it easier to ask for what you want when dating, mating, and relating. When you can bring yourself physical pleasure, you don’t need someone else to tell you that you’re sexy. You feel it. You know it.

When we decide to ignore external judgments about ourselves and our bodies, we can take control of our cravings and desires and learn to actually love ourselves.