A stressful lifestyle could affect the way you perform in bed. Stress causes spikes in your cortisol (the stress hormone) levels which can further cause your sex drive to drop. In such conditions, it will become much harder for you to perform. Stress can also cause issues with your blood pressure and these will further decrease the quality of your sex life. So if you want a better libido and an even stronger erection, I recommend you get rid of the stressors in your life. This does sound easier said than done because daily stress is almost unavoidable. But you can always take a break, take a deep breath and practice meditation. You might notice that with a calm mind, your love-making sessions could be highly improved.

If you’re the type that prefers a “quickie”, while there’s nothing wrong with that, you might be hurting your erections in the long term. Sure, a very quick love-making session can be quite thrilling but I don’t recommend you make this into a habit. Instead, take your time and enjoy the time you get to spend with your partner. Sex shouldn’t be a race but a slow dance. You could also try some penis-strengthening exercises such as kegels (no, they’re not only for women) or power kegels once you get the hang of the simple ones.

I’m not saying this because I want to take a moral high ground or anything along those lines. Over the years, multiple studies have shown that frequent porn usage affects your ability to get erections and could even make it harder for you to get aroused with your significant other. Porn could possibly “train” your penis to only respond to artificial exaggerated stimuli. It might also lead you to stop appreciating the realistic intimacy, building unrealistic expectations instead. These unrealistic expectations might just make you even more anxious, affecting your sexual performance.

A healthy diet is essential in supporting a healthy sex life. You could try eating more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants and could boost the blood flow to your penis. When it comes to foods you should avoid, I recommend you steer clear of things high in cholesterol, processed fats or artificial sugars. These foods usually wreck your blood pressure. And when your blood pressure is not right, it could lead to erection problems. So you can see how a healthy and balanced diet is key to a healthy and balanced sex life.