We’re Giving Up Performative Sex

Tell me if this sounds familiar. New partner says to you, I'm super kinky. What are you into? And you have no idea how to answer. Well, this is probably because your brain instinctively wants to say whatever they're into. It's so much easier to just go with the flow or adopt the freaky Persona. But I'm telling you that if it's not coming from a place of total honesty, like you don't really want to do the thing they're into, that might be setting you up for anxiety ridden sex and it's okay to say, you know what, I'm still figuring out what I'm into.

You're listening to Sex with Emily. I'm Dr. Emily and I'm here to help you prioritize your pleasure and liberate the conversation around sex. Today we're talking about something many of us struggle with and that's anxiety in the bedroom. Specifically, we're talking about the different pressures we might feel to act or perform in certain ways during sex that don't necessarily give us the most pleasure. Tune in to find out ways you might be limiting your pleasure potential so that you can be more authentic and more present in the bedroom. Please rate and review Sex with Emily wherever you listen to the podcast. It just helps get the podcast out to more people like you. You can find us on all social media. It is exwithemily. And don't forget to check out my new articles, how to Master Seated Sex and How to Give an Erotic Massage on our website sex with emily.com. i want to let you know that the paperback of my book Smart Sex is now out in bookstores in the US and if you live in the UK, my book was just released January 30th. More places coming soon. But check out Smart Sex. If you're a paperback person, check out the paperback. You're gonna love it. It's been an incredible journey with book and now the paperback is so exciting. Also wanted to mention my membership community, Smart S X that we launched in September and it's just been an incredible community of people coming together to share, to grow, to support each other, to have accountability in our desires, to have better sex. I bring in some of the leading experts in the world to teach. We know a few times a month. It's just a wonderful community. We're exploring and learning so much about ourselves and you can learn about your sexual health and just join us there. All right everyone, enjoy this episode.

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Let's talk about performance anxiety and how it affects everyone, not just penis owners, during sex. So when I say the phrase performance anxiety, you might be thinking it has something to do with erections, how long you stay hard, can you get erect, will you lose your erection? And so on and so forth. But today I want to open up the concept of performance anxiety because, let's be honest, I think a lot of us feel pressure to perform in bed, or rather to be performative in bed. For example, this is all about getting in your head and you're thinking about looking hot during sex rather than tuning into what you're actually feeling. Or maybe you're getting so distracted by what you think you should be during sex. Should I talk dirty? Should I bust out something really kinky that you lose touch with your authentic desire and worry more about putting on a show? Now, if you read my book Smart Sex or if you haven't gotten a copy yet, I actually open up the book talking about how I was basically only having performative sex until I was 35 years old. I was faking orgasms, I was moaning and arching my back just like how I thought my partners wanted it. And in fact I thought that successful sex was when my partner was pleased, didn't have anything to do with my pleasure. And that's what I'm talking about, being more performative in bed. So in this episode you're going to hear me discuss three things Number one, common orgasm blockers, or o blockers as I call them. Two, the Personas many of us feel we need to adopt for sex. And three, how to tune into your authentic desires during sex and cultivate presence that'll serve you, your orgasm and all of your sexual connections. So let's go common O blockers. Let me just normalize this. People get distracted during sex. It happens and it's going to continue to happen. I'm not saying it's never going to happen after this show, but awareness is the first step. Step. So maybe you're worried about the way your body looks. Maybe you're self conscious about your genitals. Maybe you're bored and you've started to disassociate during sex, which is super common in long term relationships. Maybe you're fantasizing about an ex or fantasizing about someone you met that day, or you're thinking about work. Anything else but being present with your partner, that's what's on your mind. Or maybe you're dealing with one of the three pleasure thieves I discuss in smart sex. Stress, trauma, or shame. All of these feed performance anxiety. Because think about it, when you are anxious, you're not in the present moment. Anxiety and presence can't exist together. So going back to the pleasure thieves, stress is almost a default state in this culture. Whether you're stressed about money, your job, your family, your relationship with the person you're actually having sex with, in the moment we're feeling it, it's happening. Stress, anxiety. But what happens is stress pumps out adrenaline and cortisol on the daily, leaving us tired and exhausted, which is pretty much the opposite of sexy. So when we're in stress, it's really how to welcome in arousal and eroticism. The next thief. Trauma can come from anywhere. But in a sexual context, it might rear its head in some surprising ways. Like let's take little T trauma as an example. Say that somebody said something unkind about your genitals once. Like they smelled or they didn't like the way it looked down there. Or maybe you just heard that, you know, genitals are dirty and no one should ever be down there. Well, the next time you're connecting with a new partner and they start to go down on you, that little T trauma comes back. You're suddenly clenched up and scared, thinking they won't like what they'll see down there. And so you stop the process altogether and you don't even allow yourself to receive pleasure. And finally, shame. Let's face it in this culture, shame and sex basically go hand in hand. Even talking about sex openly makes people feel ashamed sometimes. Ashamed for wanting more sex, better sex. You know, ashamed when our partner asks us for something. Or maybe we ask for something from our partner and they shame us back. And I can't tell you how many people I've spoken with who feel guilty and selfish and ashamed for simply desiring great sex. This is problematic. If you really start to pay attention to shame, you'll see it everywhere. Okay, let's shift gears a bit and talk about the pressure to act like someone you're not in bed. Well, I've come to realize that a lot of the reason why so many people experience performance anxiety is because they think sex is about putting on a show. And I get it. That's why you ask me for tips and advice and positions and all these things. And maybe in porn, we feel like we have to act like everything that we see in porn. In a perfect world, sex is a safe space where both partners could explore and express their desires for freely. And that's the world that I'm urging you, I'm gently guiding you all towards. But I get it. We're not all there. The world isn't there yet. The world is not perfect. Whether it's trying to look hot in every position, even the awkward ones, or, you know, maybe even practicing the perfect porn star moan. You know, a lot of us want to give our partners the peak sexual performance, and we take our cues from porn. I am not recommending that. I'm here to tell you that sex should be way more than a show. So. So instead of being caught up in how you might be perceived, you can focus on your pleasure and your partner's. So here are some common pressures I hear from all of you. Number one, maybe you want to come across as the girl who's down for whatever, right? Ain't on a moment's notice, no problem. You know, you're the cool girl, you're down, You've got no issues. But I challenge everyone to remember that you should be having sex with people who recognize and listen to all of your sexual boundaries. And I want you to hear this because I know that this still is a problem for everyone. But I hear it from a lot of young people, maybe, who haven't had as much experience out in the world. And they just think, well, people won't like me if I don't say yes to their requests. I have to do everything in bed. So I really want to explain to you how important it is it's important for you to be people who listen to you and respect your boundaries, your requests. You shouldn't be afraid or uncomfortable turning down something you you're not ready for or you're not into. I'm gonna be honest. I used to think it wasn't okay to say no to sex once it started. Meaning if we started moving along, my partner, like, wanted to move a little bit quicker, take my clothes off, or wanted to just do anything that I really wasn't ready for yet. I kind of thought, well, it's not fair to them. It'll feel good for me in a few minutes maybe. And I just didn't stop sex once it was going well. I can't tell you. That is just such bullshit. You do not have to worry about your partner. I thought they'd get blue balls. Like, none of that's real. You shouldn't be AF or uncomfortable turning down something you're not ready or not into. The right partners, trust me, they're gonna thank you for being honest. I promise you they will. And also, what a great way to figure out what partners are right for you and what partners don't. Because I can tell you if you say no to something and you feel even a little bit shamed or you feel pressure, get the hell out of there, okay? Because when you find a partner who appreciates your honesty and wants to collaborate with you sexually, then you could do something you're both into, leading to a much more sexually satisfying time. That's what we're all about here. Okay? Collaboration, which is my third pillar of sexual intelligence? Check out my book, Smart Sex Number Two. Listen, I know for penis owners, there's also that additional pressure to always initiate and dominate and be hard and be ready to go and know what you're doing. But I'm here to tell you that if that stereotype doesn't work for you, throw it out the window. You don't have to put that pressure on yourself. It's so fun first to play with different dom and sub roles and try something new. But also, it's okay to ask your partner what they're into. It's okay to pay attention and say, like, what do you. Like, what do you want? You know, it's okay if you're not hard every time. It's okay if you want to be the little spoon. Okay, it's all okay. Then the third pressure, I hear from all of you. For those of you who dabble in kink and BDSM or sleep with those who do, tell me if this sounds familiar, new partner says to you, I'm super kinky. What are you into? And you have no idea how to answer. Well, this is probably because your brain instinctively wants to say whatever they're into. It's so much easier to just go with the flow or adopt the freaky Persona. But I'm telling you that if it's not coming from a place of total honesty, like you don't really want to do the thing they're into, that might be setting you up for anxiety ridden sex, and it's okay to say, you know what? I'm still figuring out what I'm into. What are you into? It's okay to ask questions. It's okay to find out more about them. You don't have to be a pleaser here. You can say, tell me more about what you're into. I'm still figuring myself out. And let me just reiterate here. There is nothing sexier, hotter, more authentic, or more real than somebody who dates their partner. I'm still figuring it out too. I actually don't know that's what we want to hear. We want the real deal, not you faking it and saying, oh, whatever you want feels good. I'm barely adamant about this because I did that for years. I partnered you say, what are you into? I'm like, whatever you're into. Because I literally didn't know what else there was. I didn't know what to ask for. I didn't know what they wanted. I was a pleaser. And I do not want you to be like me. Please don't do what I did. Okay. Okay. Number four for all my perfectionists out there. How you doing? I know. There's also that additional often personal pressure of having to blow your partner's mind every time. Like, I'm gonna give him the best oral. I'm gonna be really sexy. I'm gonna do all the things. And while that's fulfilling when you do feels wonderful, it's also devastating when sex is over. And maybe your partner doesn't tell you it's the best sex they ever had. Like, that's what you're basing it on? Like, that's one reason not to drive. Be a perfectionist in bed, besides the fact that perfection doesn't even really exist. But if you're waiting for that, that's not gonna work. I'm here to tell you that sex isn't always a home run. And every time you have sex with won't be your partner's best time ever. And that's completely okay. So if you are a perfectionist when it comes to sex, for whatever reason, just know there's gonna be awkward pauses, it's gonna be messy, things are gonna happen. And please don't set this up as like, I'm gonna try to do all these things to get some accolades from my partner, because that's just also setting you up for failure. Let me just give you a little bit more here so you can understand what I mean. I mean, first of all, I understand why a lot of especially vulva owners have this pressure. I mean, if you grew up with magazines, going to a grocery store or buy or really right now, anything you look at headlines. If you go to Cosmo, it's like, give them the best blow job ever. Rock their world, Be this person in bed, do this move, and they'll never leave you. They're gonna fall in love with you after you do these three things. I mean, that's just inherently ties back to placing your partner's pressure above your own. And you know how I feel about that. This rears its head in many ways. Like, maybe you're not the only person that your partner's sleeping with. And you're like, I'm gonna be the best one. I'm gonna do all these things that'll blow their mind and be the best. I'm gon going to win. I'm going to get the rose, you know, But I honestly have to say that this is just also. It's not so binary. It's about connection. So it's not really about a move you did or anything. It's about the connection to your partner, and that's presence. That's being, you know, connected and expressing your true desires. I mean, I think the best lovers are the ones who know what they want in bed and know how to pay attention to their partners and have great communication around sex. That's how you're going to blow their mind. Now let's talk about the performative challenges that come with casual sex specifically, and that these encounters, by definition, are meant to be fun and carefree and loose, and we're all just getting our needs met. But they can easily become a source of stress, especially if the sex and relationship with this partner is a bit performative. Also, with casual sex, there's a lot of pressure to be like, the cool girl or be the guy with all the moves. You know, many people feel like they have to act aloof, showing little to no emotion or vulnerability. And. And we do this just to maintain control of the Situation and our feelings. We try to act cool and like, we don't care, but we have feelings. Okay? Pretending not to care can prevent genuine connections from forming. Do you realize that you're not doing anyone else a favor by playing it cool? It's great to have something with a partner and still acknowledge that it's casual. And nothing that is serious is expected from either party. In fact, like, if you have a genuine connection, you won't have to play cool because you'll be discussing that, like, this is casual, but let's make sure it's great for both of us. Like, that's what great casual sex is. You actually acknowledge we're going to meet each other's needs, but we're not going to be committed. You're not going to come home and meet my family, but we are both committed to having great sex together. The problem with the cool girl Persona, it creates this environment where your emotions are suppressed. And unfortunately, that can impact your sexual performance. So when we're trying to be cool, that can also put pressure to perform and meet certain expectations. Completely forgetting that sex is not a performance. We're going to be judged. It's supposed to be collaborative and enjoyable. And truly, if you are holding back during sex, I mean, you're having this, like, intense experience. And if you're truly in your body and you're feeling something and then you're in your head thinking, don't be too cool, don't show too much, don't make too much noise. How real and pleasurable is that? And why even have the casual sex if it's all performance? So here's my solution. Let's just break down the barriers. First, have honest conversations about the challenges and expectations surrounding your casual hookups. Be real about it. It's casual for both of you. So just navigate these situationships with confidence and authenticity. Acknowledge your emotions, communicate your needs, even the needs that you aren't really clear yet. You can say, help me figure this out. We're figuring this out together. I think I might want this. What do you want? And then prioritize genuine connections. Even in casual relationships. Listen, you could still be genuine and you can still be a good person and care about someone deeply. Even in a casual relationship. Treat them with respect, treat them well, and get what you need in bed. Even if it doesn't look like a conventional sexual or romantic relationship, that's okay too. All right, now you get it. Those are the O blockers, as well as some of the roles you. You might feel pressured to play in bed. And hopefully you're nodding along in recognition. Let me know what you think. Is this resonating with you? I love hearing from you and I wanna hear what you think about the show. So please get in touch with me. So let's move into some solutions. Here are some of my top tips for alleviating performance anxiety. So you can relax into sex. That's what we want. We wanna be relaxed and feel good. And then you can connect deeply with the person next to you. So here how you can be yourself in bed, in smart sex. One of my sex IQ pillars is self acceptance, and that's what I'm going to focus on here. In my opinion, there are three ways to alleviate most flavors of performance anxiety. Here they are. Number one, listening to sex positive voices. By the way, you're doing that right now. And I highly recommend you listen to this podcast with a partner because I hear from couples all the time who love listening together because it helps you hear the voices together and stimulate sex positive conversations. Next, communicate with your partner during sex. Rather than acting for them, I want you all to have healthy communication with your partners. Talk to them about your needs, your wants, your desires. You can even let them know, you know what? I want to go deeper into our relationship. I want to learn more about my sexuality. Are you down? Are you somebody who has a growth mindset about sex? Would you be willing to breathe together, to slow things down, to pay attention to what we both need? It's so much healthier to honestly communicate about your needs. This is how you're to have your sex. Be less performative and more focused because you're going to have told your partner perhaps that, hey, I used to be really anxious. I used to be more performative. But I want to work with you on not being that way. Like, once you call yourself out, you can no longer act that way with a partner because they're going to be following along with you, being like, yeah, I don't want you to be that way either. And maybe you're thinking, oh, that's horrible, horrifying. I can never tell them that. I'm not saying you got to tell everything. Like, I was being cool and I was faking it, but you could just say, I really like this relationship. I'm learning a lot from listening to this amazing podcast, Sex with Emily. And I've learned that sometimes I'm in my head during sex. Do you want to do some exercises with me where we can maybe breathe together at the beginning of sex? We can do some eye contact, we could like learn together how to be more connected. You know, I think that that's really, really important to find partners who are on the same page with you because maybe they were acting as well. I'll bet if you call yourself out for being more performative, they're gonna find ways to be more real and authentic as well. And finally, another pillar actually is self knowledge, and that's understanding and actualizing what makes you feel sexy and desirable. Do you know yourself? Do you know what makes you feel sexy? Do you know your desires? Do you know your fantasies, the positions that feel better than others? You probably know more than you think. But a lot of times we don't even pay attention when we're having sex. So by being more connected and being more present during sex, you'll really be able to tap into the sensations and the energy that you're sharing with a partner. And that's also the first pillar. Being more embodied, staying more connected during sex, paying attention to the senses in the environment, and doing all the practices that allow you to be more present, more embodied. And let's kick all that performative sex to the curb. You got this. All right, we're going to take another quick break before answering some of your questions about performance anxiety and performative sex.

This is from Sylvia. She's 30 in London. Hey, Dr. Emily. I love the show. I've been single for most of my 20s, dating tons of men over the years. I'm very content on my own, and all the dating I've done has given me such a great idea of what I do and don't want from a relationship. Problem is that with the guys it seems to be going well with, as soon as we have sex, everything changes. They give out the impression that I'm amazing. And then as soon as we have sex, it's. It's different. This has happened multiple times now, and you can't help but notice a pattern. This in turn has taken a huge toll on my sexual confidence, thinking that it's something I'm doing wrong. And I now put so much pressure on myself going into sleeping with a new partner. It just doesn't end well. I'm really not sure what more to do, and I don't feel like there's anyone I can speak to about this. I've listened to podcasts, read books, and tried to improve my confidence and knowledge this way, but it's happened again recently. No one has ever said anything to me about it, but I can't help but notice this pattern of everything changing and self sufficient. Sabotaging over it. Why does this keep happening? I try so hard to please in bed, and now I'm at a point where it's a constant. Is it my body? Is it the way I look during sex? Is it my vagina? I'm just completely negatively overthinking the situation. I've tried casual sex, and I just don't enjoy it without a connection. But perhaps I need to invest in this again. Any advice would be really appreciated at the moment. I just feel like I can't take another hit to my confidence. Thank you so much. All right. Thank you so much for your question, Sylvia. I'm sure this is a really challenging time for you, feeling all of the feelings and feeling that it's your fault and you're sabotaging and it's something that you're doing. And I get that. There's a few things I want to point out about what you said. You said you can't help but notice this pattern of everything changing and self sabotaging over. And when I'm thinking about it, do you notice any patterns in the type of people you're dating? The guys you're dating? Is there a similarity to how these situations go down? You know, you said that they make you feel like you're all wonderful until you have sex and then they disappear. Well, is that an authentic connection? You know, a lot of people will say anything to get you in bed. You're wonderful, you're fabulous, you're beautiful. I bet you're great in bed. And then they get you in bed and then they disappear. Now, I got to be honest with you. I personally haven't dated a guy who's like, you're fabulous. You're wonderful. Well, that's not true. I'm sure years ago I have. I love words of affirmation, but if someone's complimenting you too soon and too early on, we have a term for that now. It's called love bond. So I'm wondering if it's seductive for you when a man makes you feel very desired and wanted. This is just an idea. Gonna throw a few of them out there because we're not actually speaking. But maybe that's just something to look at. Look at the patterns of people you're dating and what's happening leading up to these familiar situations that happen to you. Okay. So I would try to do something different now because that's how we change, right? We've changed patterns. We gotta do something different. Make a commitment to yourself that you're going to establish an Authentic connection with a person. You're gonna go on a few d. You have sex, you're going to find out their relationship history. You're going to pay attention to other signs. Are there other things they're doing that would give you pause or make you feel like maybe this person isn't that safe to be with? Are they criticizing people? Do they have a negative take on life? Are they kind to the wait staff, or are they yelling for the next cocktail? I mean, we can tell a lot about people when we spend time with them. So I just want to make sure that you're dating kind people who you truly connect with. You know, also, it sounds like you're really loving that they're feeling good about you, but I want to remind you that you also want to feel good with them. How do they make you feel? Because a lot of us get caught up in this. Well, I want to make sure this person likes me. So I'm going to show up on the date, and I'm going to be the best version of myself, and I'm going to say all the right things and do all the right things, which is another kind of performance we all do. But really we're trying to impress someone that we don't even know. Like, do you like them? Like, what are they doing to impress you? So I think the more we can say, I'm just going to show up as myself, I'm going to be real, and I'm going to see if they like me, do I like them, and that's how we establish a more authentic connection. And then finally, I recommend therapy to everybody. I don't think I've done it yet today, so I'm going to recommend it to you. Have you had therapy? Have you looked at any of these, you know, challenges that you're having? You know, is there anything going on beyond the bedroom? Have you found these patterns that happen elsewhere where you're doubting yourself or your confidence? You know, these are all great things to work on with a trusted therapist. Thank you so much for your question. I appreciate you, Sylvia. This is from Flynn, 56, in Pennsylvania. Hi, Dr. Emily. I've lived with performance anxiety for most of my life, but it was manageable during an extremely stressful period last summer, I had a couple of erection losses that had now put me into deep performance anxiety. My partner, my wife, takes as a symbol that I find her unattractive, making it difficult to break this cycle. I'm looking for suggestions and guidance as I need to meet her where she is and not expect her to help me out of this. She stresses it's my issue that put her there. Trying to be respectful. I have been using meditation and hypnosis apps to help me overcome. It's getting better, but not at the pace I wish. Please help. All right, Flynn, thanks for your question. And first, I want to say you bring up a really good point here that I don't think I made yet in this episode. And let me say this remind you all that because your partner is having a performance anxiety challenge, whether it's an erection or can't have an orgasm, typically it is not because of you. It is not the partner's fault. They don't find you not attractive. It's not because of a move you did when we were having challenges in the bedroom with our erections or orgasms. Most of the time does not have to do with us. And so your wife taking it as a symbol that you find her unattractive is very common, but it is not true and not helpful for you. I get it. And now you're in a cycle of feeling like it's already hard, that you are having erection loss, but then having your wife make you feel worse about it is not helpful. And meditation is great for anxiety and hypnosis. I don't know about that for performance anxiety, but people are loving hypnosis these days. But I want to point a few things out. You're 56 years old, and this is typically in their 40s. And as they get older, many men experience erection challenges when they did not before. And this is due to the changing hormones. It could be a loss of testosterone. It could be something with your diet. It could be a medication you're taking. If you're taking blood thinners and SSRI antidepressants, how's your diet, your exercise? Are you moving your body? There's so many things that contribute to having an erection or not having an erection. So I would try to get to the root of it. You know, I'm not asking you to stop meditating or any of that. I would really take a look at it and meet with a hormone specialist or a doctor who really understands men's hormones and men's health, like urologist, and get tested and figure out what's actually going on. Now, as far as your wife and confidence, I mean, you guys have been together. I'm going to assume you've been together a long time. I don't know. But she hopefully can just understand and maybe you could play this with her. Hi, wife. And I'm just letting you know that, you know, erections come, they go sometimes, they go more often when we're older. And I just want you to have Grace here with him. Now. Here's the other thing. Just because you lose your erection, let me remind you, there's so many other ways to play. A lot of times I found that when men lose their erections, if they turn their attention towards pleasing their partners, like going down on her, getting a toy, you know, doing something else, when they take the pressure off, their erection can come back. So just because you lose your erection doesn't mean it's gone for the entire evening. You know, it just might mean that we got to focus on some other things. And also mutual masturbation could be a great tip for you guys. You know, I love when couples kind of please themselves because it's really hot to know we're going to have an orgasm, but to also see what our partner does. Also, it could be fun to play with some prostate. Play. A lot of men who have problems with erections find that they can have incredible pleasure with their prostate, which is through their anus, about 2 inches inside. We talk about that a lot. So there's different ways to play. But I would bring your wife into this now when you said you don't expect her to help you out of this. I'm going to take a different approach here. You're the one who has to go to the doctor and track what you learn and all the information. But I think it's important to bring our partners into what's going on and let her know that, again, it's really not her. And you can let her know how it makes you feel, feel when she feels that it's her fault. Like, have a real conversation about it and say you're going to do all these things to really work on it, but you want to bring her into it. Not to help you per se. She doesn't have to give you solutions. But I think if you're going through a whole process now of trying to figure out your erections and your sexual health at 58, that it's important for your wife to also know what you're going through so you don't have to go it alone and maybe have knowing that she's on board and she's enthusiastic and compassionate and supportive might just help you find those erections a lot sooner. Thank you so much for your question, Flynn. Let me know how it goes. This is from Lauren, and she's 28. Hey, Dr. Emily. My boyfriend and I have been together for one year. Recently, I've been having a hard time enjoying sex because I have a hard time getting out of my head. I have a lot of anxiety in general. And recently I've been having anxiety about our sex life, which makes it even harder to get out of my head during sex and enjoy it. My anxiety comes from things I know we need to work on, like closing the orgasm gap, experimentation, and communication. Specifically, he finishes quickly. Well, it takes me a long time. Even when using toys, I feel all this pressure, not from him, but from myself and from what society has taught me to perform and to finish. I also think we have different sexual styles. He's more aggressive and I'm more sensual. I have a hard time not perceiving these differences as problems or that there's something wrong with me or us as a couple. I think my anxiety breeds a negative headspace that creates this narrative. We have conversations about our sex life, and he's very supportive and always wants to help me feel my best. However, I feel stuck mentally in my anxiety around sex. And because of this, it's been hard for me to identify and take action steps towards increasing my pleasure. How can I ease my anxiety around sex and work through this mental block? Thank you. All right, Lauren, it sounds like you really are doing a lot of great introspection, and you've really been looking at your sex life with your partner. First, I want to say I love that you have a partner that's open to talking about sex with you. And now it sounds like it's time to go a little bit deeper. Have you shared with him about what's going on in your head? Have you discussed closing the orgasm gap together? Have you told him that you think it's taking you too long? And have you talked about the fact that he's getting there too fast? Is it possible for you to come first? How can you both get your needs met? These are just some things I'm thinking about because I'm sure that he'd like to last longer and you'd like to get there quicker. But again, you don't have to be the detective or the one figuring this all out on your own. Especially if we're with a trusting partner and we have these conversations with compassion and curiosity and not with judgment and fear. But when we lead with, let's figure this out together, why don't we problem solve? Why don't we listen to sex with Emily? Why don't we read smart sex? You know, why don't we just, like, figure out Together, like, if he's getting there too quick again, maybe going down on you or him taking time, like not going right into penetration. Maybe you guys could do some extra edging where you, you know, you bring him up to or close to orgasm and then you bring it back down for you. Maybe, you know, oral sex or there's different positions that work. Maybe using the toy with him. I know you're saying it's harder right now. Maybe you need a new toy. Maybe you need to feel that he finds it really hot when you're using the toy. So a lot of this anxiety is real, and I get it. But if you can kind of put words behind it and express it to him, you're going to watch your anxiety fall. You really are. Sounds like you're with a really loving partner who's open to collaboration, who's open to making this sex life great. I mean, yes, as you said, these are challenges. When you're calling them problems. I think they're challenges. But most relationships have challenges and most people have challenges in the bedroom and just don't know how to solve them and talk about them. So I would say don't throw in the towel yet. Continue to have conversations about everything here. You know, when you're outside the bedroom, when you guys are feeling relaxed and talking and kind of chip away at this and work on your relationship together so you can both get your needs met and continue to have the sex life that you both deserve. All right, everyone, thank you so much for your questions. I love hearing from you. Please continue to email and leave your voicemails. I love hearing from you.

That's it for today's episode. Thanks for listening to Sex with Emily and be sure to, like, subscribe and give us a review wherever you listen to the podcast, podcast and share this with a friend or partner. You can find me on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter or X and Facebook. It's all sexwithemily. Oh, and I've been told I give really good email, so sign up on sex with emily.com and while you're there, check out my free guides and articles for more ways to prioritize your pleasure. And if you'd like to ask me about your sex life, dating or relationships, call my hotline559 talk sex. That's 559-8255-5739. Or just go to sex with emily.com askemily. Was it good for you? Email me feedbackexwithemily.com.

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