That said, anxiety can actually be to your benefit in ending an erection. Stress causes a “fight or flight” reaction in the body, which includes the redistribution of blood towards the arms and legs. The sympathetic nervous system is also involved in erections. [2] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Drawing blood away from your genitals can help end your erection. [3] X Research source So, the best advice may be not to worry about having an erection, but feel free to worry about other things that may distract and deflate your problem. [4] X Research source
Try to occupy your mind with something besides sex, but don’t try to forget about your erection. In other words, don’t think to yourself, “OK, I’m thinking about baseball now. Definitely not my erection. " Your erection won’t go away until you are fully focused on something else. Force yourself to perform a task that takes a lot of mental concentration: play a musical instrument, read, exercise, or solve a math problem. If you can’t distract yourself by doing an activity, try to visualize the activity in your head. If you’re in a social situation and you can’t distract yourself without arousing suspicion, imagine yourself doing something different. If you love playing guitar, imagine every little detail: where you’re putting your fingers, how you’re strumming, how the song sounds.
Ignore sexual stimuli. Don’t allow yourself to see, hear, or experience anything arousing. Distract your senses by diving into things that take a lot of attention. If you can’t stop noticing the attractive person in the seat next to you, force yourself to focus on the book in front of you. [7] X Research source
Try, for example, discreetly pinching your thigh. It’s easy to hide, it won’t seriously hurt you, but it can hurt enough to distract you. If you’re truly desperate, some people may recommend you try flicking a testicle through your pants. Don’t flick too hard, though, or you might injure yourself! Remember, it’s never worth injuring yourself over an erection.
Sitting down also gives you more options for concealing your erection. If you’re sitting at a table or a desk, for instance, you can pull your chair closer to cover your crotch. You can fold your hands in your lap.
Whatever you choose, be subtle. Hold the cover-up object as if everything is normal. Otherwise, you may simply draw added attention to the area you’re trying to conceal.
Use caution when wearing a tucked-in shirt or a shirt that doesn’t reach all the way down to your waist. If your shirt rides up, you might accidentally expose yourself! Be aware that while this technique will help hide your erection, the friction of the fabric may also inadvertently arouse you further. Some people prefer tucking downward against one of the thighs. It is really just a question of personal preference and comfort.
Be conscious of where you are. Don’t be obvious. You don’t want to be mistaken for some sort of pervert. If you have a bit of privacy, applying a cold pack to your crotch (outside your clothing) can soothe discomfort and encourage your erection to dissipate as well. [10] X Research source If you’ve ever been in a cold swimming pool or outside on a cold day in shorts, you know that the penis and testes tend to retract towards the warmth of your body.
Light exercise, like walking on a treadmill or simple aerobics, can also help provide distraction and a shift in blood distribution. These alternatives are often used as initial efforts to end a possible case of priapism, in which the pooled blood becomes trapped in the shaft of the penis. If you have an erection that lasts for more than four hours for any reason, seek medical attention immediately. If not treated quickly, priapism can lead to permanent damage, including but not limited to erectile dysfunction.
Waking up in the morning with an erection is common for men of all ages. It can occur with or without the prompting of sexually-arousing dreams. Despite the degree of difficulty in hitting your target while you have an erection, urinating can often help bring it to a conclusion quickly. [13] X Research source
Discreetly excuse yourself from the situation and find a private area: a bathroom, a bedroom, or anywhere else you feel sure that you won’t disturb anyone. Do your business, clean up, and return to the situation relieved and ready to go. Avoid masturbating in public. If you do find yourself in a public place with an erection, find somewhere relatively private to do your thing. A lockable bathroom stall will do in a pinch, as long as you aren’t loud or obvious about what you’re doing. Public masturbation is illegal in many places, and you might disturb people if you aren’t careful. [15] X Research source
