How Work Stress Hijacks Your Sex Life |
Your job has been challenging lately, and you get home most nights feeling stressed, burnt out, and exhausted. The tension and uncertainty at work have taken a toll on your mood and your sex life. You haven’t been in the mood much, and neither, it seems, has your partner. When you do have sex, it doesn’t feel satisfying—like you’re both just going through the motions. Your partner isn’t initiating sex much either, so you chalk it up to the natural ebb and flow of a couple’s sex life.
What you might miss is how this dynamic was triggered and maintained by work stresses that followed you home and invaded your bedroom.
Studies of working adults consistently find that higher job stress is linked to lower sexual desire and satisfaction. And crucially, stress doesn’t just affect the person experiencing it—it crosses over. When one partner is mentally overloaded, they tend to be less affectionate and less responsive—not out of disinterest, but depletion.
Other studies have found that intense work strain can lead to more conflict at home and more tension between partners. Moods are contagious. If you are withdrawn and in a bad mood, it will drag down your partner’s mood too. It will also dampen feelings of connection and make sex seem much less appealing. In addition, they might experience........