The squeeze technique for premature ejaculation

The steps below follow the NHS and the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM). They're factual and solo, with no images. If you're new to all of this, the stop-start technique guide covers the base method and the 0 to 10 arousal scale we use here.

What the squeeze technique is

Stop-start and squeeze are standard techniques that sex therapists teach for ejaculatory control. Both train you to notice your arousal building and to pause before the point of no return, starting solo and later with a partner. They take lots of practice.^1,2

The NHS lists the squeeze among the techniques taught in psychosexual counselling, alongside the stop-go method.¹ You'll also see it called the stop-squeeze or pause-squeeze technique. It's the same method under a different name.

Where stop-start pauses by taking stimulation away, the squeeze adds one action to the pause. The skill it trains is the same: catching your arousal while you still have room to act.

If it keeps happening, see a doctor first

Finishing sooner than you'd like now and then is common and isn't a cause for concern. Lifelong early ejaculation is much less common.^1,2

So the first question is whether it's a problem for you. If it keeps happening and it bothers you, see a GP. Premature ejaculation has medical treatments, and a doctor can help. The NHS says a GP will discuss it with you and may examine you or refer you to a specialist.¹ Worry about performance is a common cause of finishing early,¹ and that is worth saying out loud in the appointment too.

GoBeast works alongside medical care, never instead of it. Guidelines say that for early ejaculation, combining behavioural techniques with medicine may work better than either alone.^3,4 We don't give medicine advice; your doctor does.

How to do the squeeze technique, step by step

Practise alone first, somewhere private, with no time pressure. Keep your attention on body sensations, and rate your arousal from 0 to 10 as you go.

1. Set up. About 20 minutes when you won't be interrupted. Phone on silent.
2. Build slowly. Start at an easy pace and keep the touch comfortable. Check your number every minute or so.
3. Stop at about 7. That's high, but you're still in charge. Don't wait for 9, the point of no return.
4. Squeeze. The NHS describes squeezing the head of the penis for 10 to 20 seconds.¹ Use firm, comfortable pressure until the urge to ejaculate eases.
5. Let go and wait. The NHS suggests about 30 seconds before carrying on.¹ Breathe slowly and keep your pelvic floor soft.
6. Start again. Build back up, rating as you go.
7. Repeat. The NHS describes doing this several times before you let yourself ejaculate.¹ Three rounds is a sensible first target.

Missed the moment? At 9 a squeeze comes too late, and that's part of learning where your 7 really is. Note the last number you remember, and stop a little earlier next round.

Squeeze or stop-start?

Both are standard methods, and they train the same skill. The difference is what you do in the pause.

Try each a few times. Notice which one brings your number down more reliably, and which feels less disruptive. There's no right answer, and if the squeeze breaks your focus, stop-start on its own is a complete method.

Breath and a soft pelvic floor while you wait

The wait after the squeeze is part of the practice too. Slow breathing, under 10 breaths a minute, is linked to feeling more relaxed and less anxious.⁵ Breathe in for about 4 seconds and out for about 6.

Keep the pelvic floor soft rather than clenched. Let it soften and drop as you breathe in, and stay soft as you breathe out. That's a reverse Kegel; our guide to reverse Kegels for men has the steps, and breathing and your pelvic floor covers belly breathing. Not sure where the muscle is? Start with how to find your pelvic floor.

The soft floor is easier to learn away from arousal. Every session on our free voice-guided Kegel timer ends with a Release set you can follow by voice.

With a partner, later

Solo comes first because it's the easiest place to learn. The ISSM guideline describes graduated steps that start with self-stimulation and move to a partner in stages.²

A partner can learn the squeeze too, but only if they want to. Talk about it first, away from the moment, and agree on a signal for "pause".

Does the squeeze technique work?

Guidelines describe the evidence for behavioural techniques as modest and inconsistent, and usually recommend them alongside other treatment.^2,3,6

The ISSM guideline notes that very positive early reports on the squeeze method have not been replicated, and that most studies of behavioural treatment were uncontrolled and unblinded.² Nothing has tested GoBeast. Think of the squeeze as one option among several, and talk to a doctor if early ejaculation bothers you.

When to see a doctor

If this is weighing on you, you don't have to handle it alone. If you feel hopeless or have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (US, Canada) or 1737 (NZ), call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK, Ireland) or Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Australia). If you're in danger now, call your emergency number.

How GoBeast helps with this

• Arousal-awareness drills and the stop-start method, as taught by sex therapists, with the squeeze as an option.
• Breath and pelvic control drills for the wait after each pause.
• Lessons on the anxiety loop, how erections work and when it's medical.
• Health information links to its sources.

Weighing up apps? See how the main Kegel apps for men compare, or see what's in a Kegel app for men built around a voice.

Questions