Before I start this article, here’s a quick task for you.

Go to r/NoFap, r/MuslimNoFap and r/pornfree which are the best subreddits for people quitting porn and masturbation.

Read some posts from people who are free of porn and masturbation for 30, 60 or 90 days.

Done?

Great!

Now, if you would have noticed, people who have quit porn for more than 30 days will suggest you to do the following things. They themselves have done these things and are still doing them as a way to stay on track. And they vouch by the effectiveness of these things. And these things definitely are effective.

The things they suggest are: –

Brisk Walking, Walking in Nature, Jogging, Exercise, Stretching, Weightlifting, Tai Chi, Meditation, Vipasanna Meditation, Mindfulness, Yoga or something they liked doing.

Very varied fields right?

Yes, they are. But do you know the underlying principle in all these activities, the common thread?

Each and every one of these things removes tension, both bodily(muscular) tension and emotional tension, that is, these activities help you to relax, make you feel lighter.

And what’s the connection with tension and porn addiction?

Well, recently I read an old book about Self-Hypnosis by Dr. Bruce Goldberg, named – Self-Hypnosis: Easy Ways to Hypnotize Your Problems Away.

As the name suggests, it is about Self Hypnosis. But while discussing about the importance of relaxation in daily life, he gives out a secret, a missing piece for our puzzled life. (We are interested in the Bolded Words here)

He says “In modern-day hypnotherapy, we observe that if the muscular tension constituting anxiety can be removed by relaxation, functioning will be improved. Tension manifests itself in many ways, including: overeating, chain smoking, impotency, premature ejaculation, inability to achieve orgasm, phobias, compulsions, depression, and myriad psychosomatic complaints (such as ulcers, asthma, hypertension, and certain types of cardiac disorders). The severity of these ailments is directly proportional to the amount of anxiety present—in a day filled with more exasperation than typical, the cigarette smoker will smoke more, the phobic will be more fearful, the ulcer patient will experience more pain, and so on.”

As you can see, Tension manifests itself in many ways, including: compulsions and depression and the severity of these ailments is directly proportional to the amount of anxiety present— and in a day filled with more tension and anxiety than typical, an addict is more compelled to act out his compulsion.

And what’s a Compulsion?

It is an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way.

And Porn and Masturbation addiction is a compulsion. We are compelled to watch porn and masturbate though we are aware of the consequences.

So, what’s the solution?

Anything and everything which can help you relax can and will definitely help you stay away from your porn compulsion.

You have tried so many things in the past and failed so many times, why not try “RELAXATION” this time and find out if it does help. Make it a habit to Relax for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Get a copy of the above book and follow the “Tensing and Releasing” technique the author suggests. It would definitely help you.

And remember…