Were not here to knock porn . (In spite of what you may have assumed from the headline!) Porn isnt inherently bad, and it definitely cant be painted with a broad brush theres a variety of porn out there, including porn made by women, for women .

But sometimes it can do you a world of good to take a break from the world of Pornhub.com and r/chickflixxx.

One good reason? Sometimes, if we overwatch porn, we become a little too desensitised by it, or worse, expect real sex to unfold like something weve watched, said Dr. Stephen Snyder , a New York sex therapist and author of Love Worth Making: How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship .

Decades ago, most young men could get off to pictures of women in swimsuits, he said. Now, theyre looking at hard-core videos with titles like Step-Sister Gives Him The Best Blowjob Of His Life and thinking, Oh, this is so repetitive. With porn-free masturbation, youre not constantly dulling your erotic imagination like that.

A porn break is an especially good idea if youve been feeling bad or self-conscious about your body.

Self-image issues can come up for both men and women because most people arent these ideal and often surgically enhanced men and women theyre seeing online, sex therapist and psychologist Megan Fleming told HuffPost recently .

Theres been a significant increase in labiaplasty in many cases because women dont like the way their vulvas look and may not be as trimmed as they see in porn, she said. (Men feel that uneasiness, too; though the average penis size is about 6 inches , in porn, its often over 8 or 9 .)

Even if you dont have any of those concerns, everyone can benefit from mixing it up with masturbation and putting more emphasis on personal fantasies, said Jesse Kahn , director and sex therapist at The Gender & Sexuality Therapy Center .

Anything can start to feel stagnant or unexciting if its repeated over and over without any sort of variation, including porn, he said. Trying to get off in a new way, such as without porn, can help you get more creative, tap into desires that get overlooked, and learn new types of pleasure. It can also make porn more exciting when you get back to it!

Now that youve heard the experts arguments, here are their best tips on DIY when it comes to getting off.

Give some thought to what kind of things turn you on.

Youre masturbating without porn, but that doesnt mean you cant use your porn preferences to fuel your fantasies.

Ask yourself: What kind of porn do you usually watch? What about it turns you on? What fantasies of yours does it fuel? Kahn said. Taking some time to reflect on our fantasies and desire can help us come up with new ideas to try, new sensations to seek.

Realise it might take a little extra work.

Sex, masturbation and porn consumption all cause our brains to produce dopamine . Because porn is so stimulating, it may take a while for you to get back in the rhythm of orgasming without it.

Its like listening to classical music when youve been used to rock and roll. Its not as immediately stimulating, Snyder said.

Without porn, you cant just dial up excitement any time you like, he added. You have to be in the mood. Kind of like actual sex.

To take some of the stress out of going solo, dont think in terms of getting off, Snyder said.

Instead, think in terms of getting genuinely excited, he explained. Cultivate arousal, not just orgasm.