I think the problem with overlapping circles is that there are always outside forces demanding our attention – the kids are yelling for mom, the oven is smoking, husband wants to know where to find his socks, dog is peeing on the rug, etc. It’s hard to get away from those distractions because they are right in our face all the time.

But point well taken. Stress relief in the form of sex is a proven cure.

Also don’t really agree with your statement that ‘Gone are thoughts of the job square, or anything else that doesn’t have immediate significance.’ I know that’s not true for me – I often have trouble sleeping at night or can be distracted if there is a lot happening in the other ’squares’ of my life.

Perhaps the difference is that physical intimacy recharges and rejuvenates men. How many times have we read a scene in a book where a man comes into work or over to friends with a smile on his face or in an ‘usually’ good mood?

Interestingly enough I just came across an article that talks about this.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2009/07/31/new-sex-diaries-book-reveals-the-secret-desires-across-the-gender-divide-86908-21560968/

It says that men use sex to escape from life, a similar sentiment to the idea I expressed above. In contrast women ‘rarely use sex to get away from tension.’

I would love to know if there are women who do find that sex relieves tension and if so, how long does this tension relief last?

It would also be interesting to see if women would be able to deal with their ‘circles’ better if they indulged in a little tension relief from time to time. Just a thought.