7 Times When Casual Sex Is Actually a Good Idea

Casual sex gets such a bad rap. It can set you up for disappointment or bring you to the bedrooms of men who you normally wouldn’t want to share an elevator with, yes. But it can also lower stress and lift self-esteem, according to research conducted at Cornell University. So how do you know when a one-night stand is going to bring you bliss—or just make you blush the next day? Experts say it’s all about your personality: If you know you’re the type to get off on booty calls, then own it, lady!

For many women, casual sex is less about playing with fire than it is about taking full advantage of being single. Here are seven times when a little no-strings-attached action is a downright good idea (granted you use protection, don’t put yourself in an unsafe situation—you know the drill). Prepare to have your coupled-up friends begging to live vicariously through you.

1. You’re Having a Hard Time Getting Over an Ex
It’s like your mamma said (maybe not to you, but to someone): The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Or on top of them. Or beside them. Whichever way you flip it, a nice steamy “palette cleanser” can be the perfect way to finally get the taste of an ex out of your mouth for good.

 

2. You Meet a Hot Local While On Vacation
When in Rome, or Miami, or anywhere your fun-loving heart takes you, building memories is key. Who needs shot glasses and T-shirts when you can take home the memory of that cutie with a thick accent?

RELATED: Why We Should All Date Like We’re on Vacation

3. You’ve Convinced Yourself That You’re In a Dry Spell
Dry spells are like pits of quicksand. The deeper you fall into one, the harder it is to get out. Don’t let yourself fall too deep into no-man’s land. Do the deed with someone, and welcome yourself back into the land of the sexually active.

4. You Can’t Seem To Stop Hanging Out With That Total Jerk
Perhaps you’re already having casual sex, but it doesn’t exactly seem casual, due to the sleepless nights and anxiety-fraught mornings this guy has caused. Remind yourself that there are other fish in the sea by sleeping with one. Then throw the jerk back in the water for good.

 

5. You Encounter a Gorgeous Man With A Personality Like a Tin Can
If the idea of holding a conversation with him makes your eyes glaze over but the idea of being held by him makes your heart race, forget trying to convince yourself that he’s boyfriend material. Instead, enjoy this fine specimen for what he is: the perfect candidate for a one-time tryst.

6. You Want Someone Besides Your Esthetician to Know How Good Your Bikini Wax Looks
Whether you’re smooth and exfoliated or secretly rocking a brand-new bra and panty set, it’s a lot of fun to take advantage of those times when you feel especially sexual. If you think about it, it would be a waste of money to let that wax grow in without someone enjoying it first, so do the responsible thing and start seducing that cute stranger.

7. Your Vibrator is Threatening to Go On Strike Due to Excessive Unpaid Overtime
Vibrators are wonderful tools that can get you through a pinch and help you ride out rough times, but if you’ve gone through enough batteries this month to power a small robot, do yourself and the environment a favor, and mix things up with a human bed buddy. Surely you’ve already fantasized about who the ideal candidate is.

All GIFs courtesy of giphy.com.

RELATED: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hooking Up

Tess Barker is a Los Angeles-based writer and stand-up comedian. She is a cohost of the Lady to Lady podcast and wrote the book and lyrics for the musical “Time Between Us.”