The first steps to any summer fling are to have fun and be yourself. But if your "self" is a person who's anxious about talking to people or afraid of rejection, throwing caution to the wind for an attractive stranger can be daunting, to say the least — especially if you're the one putting yourself out there or initiating the hookup.

Masturbation allows me to completely empty my mind. I focus purely on the pleasure and sensation of what I’m doing. For a few minutes, there’s nothing else that requires my attention: no bills to pay, no deadlines to meet, no worries about the future.