NoFap is a practice I’m grateful to have discovered, but I’m equally grateful to have evolved my frame of mind around relapsing. Instead of feeling hopelessness and disappointment, I now approach it with more acceptance and action toward improvement. Here’s what I do when I relapse on NoFap:
Remind Myself That I’m Human
Along with the mental emphasis I place on accepting what I’ve done, I also ensure I remind myself that as a human, I’m prone to making mistakes. This is a key prerequisite in order to recover from a relapse on NoFap.
It’s useful because it separates your self-identity from perfection, which relieves stress. And stress-relief reduces the probability of a further relapse (or binge).
Take a Cold Shower
The positive effects that cold water exposure can have on your brain, body and mind should not be understated. And when it comes to what I do after I relapse on NoFap, cold showers are among the most important steps for me in the recovery process.
If on the off chance I do feel more disappointment than usual in what I’ve done, a cold shower helps my mental health. One of the ways it does this is by sending electrical impulses from nerve endings to the brain, which has a potentially anti-depressive effect. See here for a study done on this.
Furthermore, the sheer shock from the temperature boosts alertness and energy, which comes in handy when you’re feeling drained from a relapse on NoFap.
Anaerobic Exercise
I’ve found that whether it’s for one minute or thirty minutes, some sort of anaerobic exercise makes me feel better after a relapse on NoFap.
Spilling your seed can deplete your testosterone levels, and anaerobic exercise can boost it. This surge can increase your confidence and improve your general outlook. See here for more information on this.
Read Something
Reading is a great way to learn, and the act itself requires enough focus that it can take your mind off of present problems. This includes a relapse on NoFap.
In my case, the medium doesn’t matter; as long as I’m immersed in the material, it could be a news article or a book.
The reality is that we’re all prone to overthinking – even if you initially tell yourself all the right things post-relapse – so reading is another preventative measure you can take to avoid that.
Consume Nutrient-Dense Foods
A relapse on NoFap depletes your body of nutrients such as vitamin C, B12 and zinc, but in small amounts. This information is cited by Dr. Michael Reitano, M.D., a physician who specializes in sexual health. See here for the full article from Health.com.
But even if it’s a fractional amount that you’re losing, you’re still losing nutrients that you otherwise could have gained by doing something that promotes your sexual health.
That’s why another step I take to recover from a relapse on No-Fap is consume whole foods, whether it’s fruits, vegetables or meat.
Do Some Work
Similar to the consequence of reading, working has the ability to take my mind off a relapse. Specifically, writing content for my blog.
This makes it harder to ruminate on the mistake I made, which further reduces stress.
There is a true sense of enjoyment in the content I write about, and finding a suitable website platform for it was made easy through Bluehost. They not only saved me a lot of money in my first year with them, but they also make their templates, plugins and general layout easy to understand. Get started here if you’re looking for somewhere to start blogging or promoting another type of business.