Mindfulness may improve daily sexual function

Mindfulness helps promote present-moment awareness in daily sexual interaction, which potentially boosts sexual function, according to a study.

“This research shows, using a dyadic daily diary design, that higher baseline levels of sexual mindfulness were associated with better daily sexual function across a 4-week period for individuals, but not for their partners,” the investigators said.

A total of 141 couples completed a measure of sexual mindfulness at baseline and reported on their sexual function daily, on days of sexual activity, for 28 days. The investigators assessed daily sexual function using the Monash Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Higher sexual mindfulness at baseline correlated with one’s own higher daily sexual function (B, 4.67; p<0.001) but not with a partner’s daily sexual function (B, ‒0.95; p=0.15). These findings persisted for both the judgment and awareness subscales. [J Sex Med 2025;22:1658-1664]

“Counter to our prediction, a person’s sexual mindfulness was not associated with their partner’s daily sexual function,” the investigators said.

“Given previous research on the widespread benefits of practicing mindfulness for sexual function and well-being, the results … provide empirical support for the contribution of sexual mindfulness … to daily sexual function and suggest it could be a relevant target for promoting sexual function in individuals in partnered relationships,” they added. [Couple Fam Psychol Res Pract 2013;2:73-94]

Partner’s sexual function

The present findings showed no partner effects. Specifically, an individual’s baseline sexual mindfulness neither had a positive nor a negative impact on a partner’s sexual function. This result contradicted predictions based on previous studies on sexual function in couples, which had shown that one partner’s experience is associated with that of the other in sexual encounters.

For instance, a cross-sectional study by Leavitt and colleagues linked both subscales of the Sexual Mindfulness Measure (SMM) with a partner’s greater sexual harmony and the awareness subscale with a partner’s better orgasm consistency. [Arch Sex Behav 2021;50:2589-2602]

“In contrast, our results did not suggest that sexual mindfulness was positively associated with a partner’s daily sexual function,” the investigators said.

“It is, however, important to recognize that, based on our results, one partner’s sexual mindfulness may not detract from their partner’s daily sexual function (eg, via an internal focus or neglect of the interpersonal experience during sex), as we found no positive or negative associations with partner sexual function,” they added.

Sexual mindfulness

The current findings also support sexual mindfulness in clinical practice to improve daily sexual function for individuals in partnered relationships. Prior studies have shown the efficacy of mindfulness interventions in improving sexual function. [J Sex Med 2019;16:909-923; Behav Res Ther 2025;188:104732; Gynecol Oncol 2012;125:320-325]

Furthermore, a meta-analysis by Stephenson and Kirth, which focused on mindfulness-based therapy for individuals with sexual dysfunction, revealed improvements in measures of sexual function following therapies that targeted mindfulness. [J Sex Res 2017;54:832–849]

“The studies included in [the current] review focused on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which targeted both general mindfulness and sexual mindfulness,” the investigators said. “Our research provides critical extensions to meta-analytic findings by demonstrating that greater sexual mindfulness could have positive implications for individuals’ day-to-day sexual function.”