
I’m gonna be honest, y’all — as much as I research and study topics that surround sex, there are times when I will stumble upon a term and then decide to write about it, mostly because I find it to be fascinating that it’s so popular in social media. And gooning? These days, gooning is one of them.
If you’ve never heard of it before, don’t feel the least bit bad about it. It first came across my attention on Instagram (although it’s also quite the hot topic on TikTok as well) and then — surprise, surprise — the Urban Dictionary. LOL. According to that rich source of data, gooning is apparently what happens when a man has engaged in edging (which I’ll expound on in just a second) for so long that he puts himself into a bit of a hypnotic mindset — a deeply meditative state, if you will.
That piqued my interest even more, so I decided to Google the mess out of the word to see what else I could find — and I think I’ve come across a few points that you may find interesting. Shoot, you might even decide to “tweak the term” a bit and apply it to your own sex life with your partner.
Listen, if you know about gooning already, I’m impressed. Hop in the comments and share your thoughts about it. On the other hand, if this is your first time even hearing the word, let’s explore why more and more people are not just talking about it…but are getting into doing it.
Gooning vs. Edging. What’s the Difference?
GiphyOkay, so since edging basically walked so that gooning could run, let’s tackle what edging is first. Edging is all about stimulating yourself and/or your partner to the point where you feel like you are about to have an orgasm — and then holding back and repeating the action over and over again. If that sounds more torturous than pleasurable, the method behind the madness here is the fact that one of the hormones that increases during sexual arousal is dopamine. One of the things that dopamine does is “reward you” with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.
And so, when you’re in the process of edging, the more that you stimulate-then-stop, the more dopamine ends up flooding the brain which, in return, ends up intensifying your orgasms when you actually do have them.
So, what is gooning all about? Well, let’s start with where the name even comes from. From what I’ve read and researched, the old-school Popeye cartoons used to have goons on them. They were men who seemed to only be focused on one thing (ahh, got it!). Gooning, sexually, is similar.
And just what makes gooning different from edging — well, for one thing, you’re going to need to set aside quite a bit of time to pull gooning off because, while it is a lot like edging, it’s what happens when you self-stimulate (again, without climaxing) for literal hours on end until you end up in what some folks consider to be a trance and others consider to be meditative (kind of like orgasmic meditation — check out “What Exactly Is 'Orgasmic Meditation'?”) state.
To be totally forthcoming, the way that a lot of people (especially men) accomplish this is by watching porn and/or consuming amyl nitrite which is also known as poppers (which is not recommended); I also peeped that some folks will goon in the presence of other gooners. However, none of this is necessary. In fact, in the BDSM world, gooning (although it’s not always called that) is pretty popular because certain sex-related acts (that don’t involve porn or drugs) are all about raising dopamine, oxytocin and adrenaline levels so high that you ended up with the same result as gooners do.
Okay, so now that you know more about what gooning is, let’s — pardon the pun — touch on how it benefits men, women and couples…in its own special way.
How Men Can Benefit from Gooning
GiphyI ain’t got no lies to tell you, when it comes to gooning, it’s definitely something that (at least currently) is mentioned in the male space more. One reason is because, although many women do indeed masturbate, reportedly, men still do it more often — and since self-stimulation plays a huge role in gooning well…there you go.
Plus, since men’s refractory period (the time that it takes for them to become erect again after experiencing ejaculation) is longer than women’s (in their case, the time it takes for them to orgasm after already having one), in many ways, this makes gooning an easier process for guys because they can stimulate themselves to the point of ejaculation, stop and then use even more time to get to the point of wanting to ejaculate again.
Oh, and if the follow-up question is “Well, is semen retention a form of gooning?” — technically, I would say so because semen retention is about either going through a season of abstinence or intentionally engaging in sexual activity without ejaculating.
And how can all of this ultimately benefit men in a sexual way? Well, since something that continues to come up about gooning is that it can put you into a meditative state, this means that it can de-stress men, which is a good thing, on pretty much every level. As far as sex is concerned, decreasing stress levels can help to lower one’s blood pressure, and reduce tension and it can help to put them in a better mood.
Beyond that, the first thing that actually came to my mind is gooning is something that can help men to build up stamina and endurance for if/when they do choose to have sex with someone else. This is great to know since men are able to climax in (on average) 5-7 minutes while it takes women (on average) almost 14 minutes to do the same. Yep, gooning is something that can help men to “get in sync” with their partners as far as orgasms and, more specifically, simultaneous orgasms (climaxing together) go.
How Women Can Benefit from Gooning
GiphyNow, if you would like to give gooning a shot, a lot of what I’ve already said about the fellas applies to you as well.
What I will add is the fact that, since masturbation is pretty much about self-stimulating to the point of having an orgasm while gooning is more about “overloading your system” with feelings of pleasure that are outside of climaxing, I would venture to say that a major perk for women is gooning teaches you how to slow down and really get to know your body: what kind of touches that you like, what type of pressure you prefer, what erogenous zones are your actual favorite and even how to truly and fully enjoy sexual stimulation outside of cumming.
Something else that can be a perk about gooning, especially when it comes to women, is it can help to intensify your orgasms. For starters, the less stressed you are, the easier it is to climax in the first place. Also, gooning not only heightens your endorphin, oxytocin, and dopamine levels, but it also increases blood flow throughout your body too.
By gooning instead of climaxing, the build-up of the blood flow can take your orgasms to another level once you actually allow your body to have one — and after hours of denying yourself the “top of the mountain”…your system will be more than ready to explode after gooning, chile.
How Couples Can Benefit from Gooning
GiphyIf while reading all of this, the thing that comes to your mind is gooning sounds a lot like tantric sex — on many levels, I would have to agree, although something that separates gooning for a lot of people is the element of porn (which again, is oftentimes incorporated). Still, it can’t be said enough that gooning can be “tweaked” in the sense that — you don’t have to use porn, instead, you can use your imagination or the visuals of your partner; you don’t have to down poppers when edibles are right there (check out “Want More Frequent And Intensified Orgasms? Puff, Puff, Pass.”), and you also don’t have to “go it alone”, you can enjoy the practice of gooning with your partner.
In fact, when you take into account that, again, gooning is something that is supposed to take much longer than 30 minutes, it seems like it would be most exhilarating when you are in the presence of someone else whether you choose to self-stimulate in their presence or you both decide to stimulate one another. To me, it seems that this would take sexual communication (check out “Are You A Good Sexual Communicator? You Sure?”) to new dimensions because, as you’re “gooning them,” you would have to ask questions like “Does this feel good?” or “Do you want more or less pressure?” while they would have to convey to you what they like and when you need to pause because they are on the brink of cumming.
Yeah, just imagine how great sex would be once penetration took place if it’s after spending hours doing nothing but building up the anticipation for it. Because again, when you’re gooning, you’re spending hours, y’all…HOURS. And then, once you’ve actually mastered sexual self-control for hours before engaging in intercourse, this means that y’all might easily turn into a throwback R&B song and be able to have sex all night long…LITERALLY. LOL. *Insert “Wanna Make Love (All Night Long)” by Lillo Thomas right here*
Gooning. Gooning can help to make this all happen.
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Aight, so with all of the benefits that come with gooning, are there any downsides? I mean, anything in excess can become potentially problematic, and certainly, if you decide to bring porn into the mix and you choose to watch it for hours on end, for days, weeks, or months at a time, that could pose some issues. Also, since you’ve got to set some real-time aside to become an expert gooner, if it gets to the point where you’re consistently up all hours of the night or you’re ditching daily responsibilities just to do it, that’s not good.
But if you’ve got a low-key weekend coming up, instead of binge-watching Tubi or scrolling through Instagram, I don’t see how you and your partner touching each other for hours, first without an orgasm, only to have an ultimate one a couple of hours later could be a bad thing.
In fact, gooning in moderation? It actually sounds pretty damn…amazing.
Report back. #wink
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This Is How To Keep 'Holiday Season Stress' From Infecting Your Relationship
Hmph. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like there is something really weird happening in the fall season air (because winter doesn’t officially begin until December 21) that cuddle season is in full swing while break-up season is as well. In fact, did you know that break-ups are so popular during the holiday season that December 11 is deemed Break-Up Day?
The reasons why relationships shift around this time vary; however, I did both roll my eyes and chuckle when I read that a very popular one is because it’s an easy way to get out of getting one’s significant other a Christmas present. SMDH.
Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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While doing a podcast interview a couple of weeks ago, when I said my age, the interviewer complimented me by saying that what I said is not what they would’ve guessed. When they asked what the secret was, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, “Oh, I’m gonna take me a nap.”
I adore sleep. I’ve said before that it’s like what Six Flags is to some people. And really, it’s just a plus that there are so many health benefits from getting plenty of rest. Beauty-wise, science does reveal that getting no less than seven hours a night can slow down signs of aging. Know what else? There are some direct things that sleep — and the lack thereof — can do to your immunity as well.
And so, since this is the time of year when catching a cold (and/or the flu) is common, let’s talk about the impact that sleep (and again, a lack thereof) has on your immune system. That way, you can remain as healthy as possible during the fall and winter seasons.
1. Less Sleep Means More Colds
GiphyLike I stated in the intro, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard somewhere that the fall and winter are the seasons when people are most susceptible to catching a cold or coming down with the flu. And that’s exactly why I thought I would start this all off by sharing the fact that some studies reveal that if you get less than six hours of sleep, on a consistent basis, you end up making yourself more vulnerable to coming down with both. In fact, some research says that only 18 percent of people who get six-plus hours of rest caught a cold while almost 40 percent who got less than that did.
The logic behind it all is sleep gives your body time to build up the proteins and cells (like cytokines and T-cells) that you need to fight off certain viruses. So, if nothing bothers you more than having a stuffy nose or stubborn cough when it’s cold outside, getting more sleep is one way to prevent that from happening to you.
2. Less Sleep Means More Allergy Symptoms
GiphyAt the end of the day, an allergy is basically what transpires whenever your immune system “overreacts” to something that other people’s systems do not. And since sleep is what helps to keep your immune system nice and strong — well, I’m sure you get how less allergy-related symptoms and more sleep go hand in hand. Also, since sleep helps to decrease bodily inflammation (more on that in a bit) and inflammation can also intensify allergy symptoms, that’s just one more reason to get as much shut-eye as possible.
3. Less Sleep Means Potential Diabetes and Heart Disease
GiphyDid you know that in 2024, Black women were diagnosed with diabetes 24 percent more than any other adult demographic. Also, it continues to be a reality that heart disease is the leading cause of death for Black women. These two sobering statistics alone should be enough of an incentive to do whatever you can to keep the risk of diabetes and heart disease way down.
One way to do that is by getting more sleep. Aside from the fact that sleep strengthens your immune system to where it is easier for you to fight off illness and diseases, sleep can keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy space; plus, when it comes to your heart, it gives it, along with your arteries and blood vessels a break.
4. Less Sleep Means Less Time for Your Body to Push “Reset”
GiphyIf you really stopped to consider all that your body goes through during the day (you can read some about that here), you definitely would respect it enough to do your best to thank it by giving it no less than six hours of sleep, each and every night. Sleep is what helps to slow your brain and body down so they are able to “refuel” for the next day. After all, how can your body prevent you from getting sick if your immune system is too worn out to fight ailments off? Exactly.
5. More Sleep Helps You to Fight Off Infections
GiphySpeaking of, in order for your body to fight off infections, there are certain cells and antibodies within you that need to be healthy and strong — one way that they get and stay that way is by you getting a good amount of sleep. For instance, remember when I touched on cytokines earlier? Well, the same way that they help to prevent colds, they also help to prevent infections too. And since sleep lowers your cortisol (stress) levels, rest gives your body the time and space to build up an army that can fight off free radicals and other health-related challenges while you are awake.
6. More Sleep Lowers Bodily Inflammation
GiphyWhenever a health-related issue is mentioned on this platform, inflammation is something that is mentioned quite a bit. Probably the easiest way to explain inflammation is it’s how your body responds/reacts whenever something is happening to your body that shouldn’t be, whether it’s an illness, an injury, a germ or something that you may be allergic to.
If you happen to have chronic inflammation, some symptoms that are associated with that include fatigue, stiff joints, skin rashes, weight gain and moodiness.
The interesting thing about all of this is if you aren’t getting enough rest, you could be triggering inflammation in your body. That’s because studies reveal that a lack of sleep can elevate molecules that are associated with inflammation. So, if you don’t want inflammation to increase within your system, you should definitely catch more zzz’s.
7. More Sleep Regulates Hormones
GiphyWhen it comes to hormones like serotonin, estrogen and cortisol, believe it or not, they play a role in how your immune system acts and overreacts. That’s because, if your hormones are out of balance, that can cause your immune system to work harder than it actually should and that can make you more vulnerable to sickness. One way to keep your hormones leveled out? SLEEP.
That’s because sleep gives your body the opportunity to rest, repair and restore your hormone levels. On the other hand, when you are sleep deprived, that can put/keep your hormones on the ultimate roller coaster ride. #notgood
8. More Sleep Strengthens Vaccines
flu shot GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyIf you’re someone who is good for getting some sort of vaccine around this time of the year, make sure that you rest up before and after getting your shots. Not only does adequate rest before a vaccination help your immune system to be better receptive to your shots but sleep also helps your body to build up enough antibodies to make your vaccinations effective after getting them. Because if you’re gonna get pricked, shouldn’t it be worth it? My thoughts exactly.
Get some freakin’ sleep! Your immune system depends on it.
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