Gywneth Paltrow talks loss of libido during lockdown (and we’re all listening intently)

In a new video with her husband Brad Falchuk, Gwyneth Paltrow opens up about family and intimacy issues during the Covid-19 crisis

Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t one to shy away from touchy subjects.

The actress and Goop founder even named a candle after her vagina so no topic is too much for this California gal. For anyone who has watched The Goop Lab on Netflix, you will know that the initial feeling is one of shock and discomfort which slowly turns into awe and appreciation. The episodes focus on the weird and wonderful of the wellness world, with one episode even focusing on magic mushrooms.

It may sound like mumbo jumbo but it’s invigorating and educational viewing.

I think fair play to Gwyneth for opening up about matters which us normal folk would usually cringe at. We hate to discuss anything that may be happening below the waists but it’s 2020, not 1940. The time has come to talk freely and Gwyneth is leading the way.

Close quarters

The Iron Man star and her husband Brad Falchuk have opened up about the issues facing couples who are self-quarantining together in a new Goop video titled “How Do You Find Intimacy in Uncertain Times?” on YouTube. Speaking with intimacy teacher Michaela Boehm, they touched on how difficult it is with the entire family now in close quarters.

Speaking about her own experience Gwyneth said: “We’re lucky that we have a really solid relationship. But we’re also in the house with the kids and it’s pretty close quarters. I think we all feel — especially my teenagers right now are really feeling — very pent in, especially Apple, who’s a very social creature.”

She continued: “It gets, like, fractious in moments and there’s definitely tension within the household… Then, you know, we have the added dynamic of like, step-parent and I think there is quite a lot of stress that just comes from trying to recalibrate to this new normal and this level of proximity.”

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HGa4EoqQWU

Intimacy

With nowhere to hide the actress also spoke about the struggle to find alone time with her husband. “As a couple, it’s sort of like — and I think a lot of our friends, for example, are going through things like this — it’s sort of like, where do you go as a couple when you’re all in the house and you’ve got dogs and you’re trying to work and work from home? It’s like, what are you supposed to do?”

In response, Boehm advises to schedule times throughout the day such as “couple’s time”, “kids’ time” and “kitchen time”.

Gwyneth then broached the topic of sex and explained a friend of hers had said she was “having a really hard time feeling sexual” because of the extra stress caused by the pandemic. Boehm says not wanting to engage in sex is normal during stressful times and women may now want to feel more nurtured and prefer cuddling with their partners or watching romantic films together.

She added that when boredom kicks in, these women will once again feel desire.

Where women are struggling to find pleasure Boehm advises self-care: “Engagement with the senses brings sexuality up… It is also very important for survival. We survive by smelling the food is good, tasting that the food is good, seeing that there are no predators coming.

“Things like self-care, beauty, which is not frivolous during a time like this, dressing in ways that feel particularly good. It’s tempting to just stay in your pyjamas all day. It’s not good to do that. On the contrary, making the extra effort is actually the way to go.”

Image: Gwyneth Paltrow Instagram 

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