Let’s face it. Not having sex can be tough, whether you’re typically aroused with ease or take more time to become impassioned. Going long periods without sexual interactions can take a toll on both the mind and body, particularly when you begin to feel anxiety about the situation.

Instead of stressing over how to get out of a dry spell, we’ve compiled a list of tried and true tricks that we use when not getting laid. These can serve as a distraction, as something to fill the time before deciding to sleep with someone new, and as a way to overall better ourselves and have a more sex-positive attitude in the long run.

Watch some good porn

If you don’t already watch pornography, this might be the time to consider starting! While going through a dry spell isn’t easy, there are plenty of positive impacts of watching porn. Get off on seeing other couples have sex, whether on your favourite porn streaming website or while watching some of the hottest sex scenes in history, on film.

PSA: Do you best to ensure that you are only consuming ethically produced pornography.

Masturbate (and use sex toys)

While you may not be getting laid, it doesn’t mean that orgasms are off the table. Masturbation is good for you, whether manually or with a sex toy, and is an incredible way to get many of the physical and emotional highs associated with person-to-person sex without the added stress of avoiding sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

If you’re into it, sex dolls may be another option to consider! Regardless of your methods, just remember to properly clean your sex toys afterwards.

Talk to your sexually active friends

Just because you aren’t getting it on right now, doesn’t mean that all your friends aren’t. Talk to them about it! Providing they are open to speaking about these things, this is the time to ask them about the sexual things that they enjoy, as well as their favourite techniques — things that you can keep in your back pocket to try out when you eventually break the dry spell. From learning how to sext and send nudes better to new sex positions, now is your chance to learn as much as possible.

Take on a new hobby

Just because you’re not having sex, doesn’t mean that you should be depriving yourself of the other things that make you happy. Use this time to take up a hobby you might not have otherwise had the chance to do if sleeping with someone (or some people) regularly. Watch the latest blockbusters, peruse some of the best sex blogs, train for a marathon, write a book — the possibilities are endless. Just pick something that you’ve always wanted to do and go for it!

Go on a date

Thinking about how to get out of a dry spell? Maybe it’s time to meet someone new.

We’re not saying to leap right into making it ‘official,’ but use this time to write your dating profile to attract the people you’re hoping to take notice of you and think about unique date ideas you can go on once you find someone interesting. Spend less time thinking ahead to breaking your dry spell, and more about what to talk about on a first date to ensure that it goes smoothly.

Take this time to grow as an individual

Stop looking at going through a dry spell as a negative experience. In fact, sometimes, a self-induced dry spell is necessary.

Though it can be difficult, it’s a chance to develop yourself further as an individual, separate from any romantic or sexual interests you may have. It’s a time to focus on you, your interests, your passions, and what you need to succeed in life (be it emotionally, financially... whatever). This isn’t to say that someone can’t grow alongside a partner, but for some people, the process is more comfortable when they are single.

Whether it’s forced upon you or self-induced, surviving a dry spell can be difficult. Thanks to tactics like masturbation, developing new hobbies, or opening up to your friends (among other things), you can use this time to grow as a person and determine useful life lessons: building intimacy without sex, getting over a breakup, and, ultimately, what you can do with yourself when you’re not getting laid.

While not always an ideal situation, understand that you can benefit from this time in some way and capitalize on these weeks, months, or even years, while you can. After all, it won’t be long before you figure out how to get out of the dry spell!

Has going through a dry spell ever been an issue for you? If so, how did you survive not having sex? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Surviving a Dry Spell Like a Champion