The emotional impact of working as an escort

Did you know working as an escort involves positive and negative emotional impacts?

Working with other people always has varied emotional impacts. However, as an escort, you’re often up close and personal with many clients, so looking after yourself is paramount for your well-being and ensuring you enjoy your work.

• Emotional benefits of working as an escort
• Common emotional challenges of working as an escort
• How to cope with the emotional impact of working as an escort
• Dealing with the potential stigma and judgement from society
• Navigating emotions with challenging clients
• Where to seek emotional support and guidance as an escort
• The takeaway

From creating boundaries to working with a professional, this Mental Health Awareness Week, we are giving you actionable advice to help you live your best life.

Scroll down to find our complete guide to managing the emotional impact of working as an escort.

Emotional benefits of working as an escort

Emotional impacts aren’t always negative things. There are various emotional benefits of working as an escort that many escorts enjoy and strive to experience.

From growing to getting to know yourself better, here are the top emotional benefits of being an escort:

• Embracing self-discovery and learning about your likes and dislikes
• Experiencing personal growth surrounding intimacy, communication, and overall well-being
• Experiencing genuine positive connections with clients that foster intimacy and companionship
• Reduced stress thanks to the ability to earn money and achieve financial independence
• Improved emotional intelligence from navigating clients’ desires and needs
• Boosted self-esteem and confidence from good reviews and client praise

Of course, the benefits will differ from individual to individual, depending on the type of work they specialise in. However, escorts generally experience many positive emotional benefits, which is a key draw to the industry.

Common emotional challenges of working as an escort

Like all careers, escorting also comes with some emotional challenges.

Here are some common emotional difficulties escorts may face:

• Emotional burnout from working with clients and managing their expectations and needs
• Blurring the lines between work and personal life leads to stress and burnout
• Fear of negative reactions from society, friends, and family
• Isolation from those who don’t understand the profession
• Risk of dealing with challenging clients and the emotional vulnerability involved with dealing with problem clients
• Guilt and shame from social stigma and judgement

It’s crucial to note that these are general challenges, and every escort has a different experience. But for many, these emotional drawbacks are a significant issue. Therefore, we need to work towards reducing them while simultaneously building support networks and coping mechanisms for those experiencing them.

How to cope with the emotional impact of working as an escort

Emotional challenges can be tough, especially if you feel alienated from a supportive community.

However, escorts can use a range of tips and tricks to self-soothe and build resilience. Here are some of the most popular coping strategies for the emotional challenges of escort work.

Many escorts work with non-judgemental colleagues or friends to vent frustrations and share experiences. This is a great way to create an understanding community that understands your experiences. Forums and social media communities are great places to meet like-minded escorts or sex-positive friends.

Escorts can also practise self-compassion and regular self-care to establish well-being in their daily lives. This is a long-term strategy, but taking daily time to check in with your mental health will help when distressing issues arise.

In some cases, contacting a professional counselling or therapy service can help escorts process emotional issues and find personalised coping strategies. However, if this route is taken, escorts should work with sex work-positive therapists for a more comfortable experience.

Working on physical health can also help to combat emotional challenges. For example, it can be helpful to:

• Work out regularly
• Eat a balanced diet
• Spend time with friends and family
• Take regular breaks from work
• Ensure you’re getting enough sleep

The more you look after your body, the better your mind will feel, leaving you well-equipped to deal with emotional work challenges.

Managing personal and professional boundaries as an escort

Alongside the strategies in the last paragraph, maintaining professional boundaries can be a life-changer when dealing with emotional impacts from work.

Work boundaries in escorting may include:

• Not replying after a certain time
• Keeping your personal life private
• Refusing to deal with clients on a “friendship” basis

These boundaries allow you to mentally clock in and out of work mode, helping you reduce stress while on your own time.

To manage these boundaries, escorts may also want to keep separate work and personal social media accounts, clearly define their services and stick to them, or only use one communication channel for clients.

It can also be helpful to revisit work boundaries every few months to check whether you’re upholding them and whether they serve you. You can simply change something for a better solution if something is not working.

Other ways to maintain a healthy work-life balance

Keeping a work-life balance is essential to good mental and physical health.

General work-life balance suggestions include:

• Setting clear work hours
• Taking regular breaks throughout the day
• Engaging in fun activities and hobbies after work
• Using regular self-care techniques to de-stress
• Learning to turn down work when your schedule is too full

Dealing with the potential stigma and judgement from society

Unfortunately, there’s still a negative stigma surrounding escorting. But escorts can alleviate some of the judgement and pressure with tried and tested strategies.

For some escorts, engaging in activism and advocacy efforts is helpful. This includes educating yourself about escort work and the current mission for decriminalisation (depending on where you’re based).

Others find that joining an online support group of other escorts can help. While friends and family may help, they won’t always understand the judgement and stigma. Connecting with real escorts will help you learn about their experience and coping strategies.

Navigating emotions with challenging clients

It can be tough to advocate for yourself if you come into contact with a difficult client. However, sticking to your boundaries is the best way to protect yourself emotionally. This will also show them you’re principled and can’t be pushed. Boundaries protect your emotions and tend to ward off challenging clients, too.

Also, always remember that you pick and choose your own clients as an escort. If the client is overwhelming you or behaving unsafely, you can drop them and terminate the relationship.

Where to seek emotional support and guidance as an escort

Sex-positive therapists and counsellors are available for professional support and advice. These experts can help you navigate industry issues without societal judgement. Plus, many professionals offer online support, so you won’t have to travel far from home. Find NUM’s UK directory here.

Organisations and charities can also help you connect with relevant support. However, if you don’t want one-on-one sessions, these organisations also provide online resources for escorts and sex workers.

Reliable organisations include NUM, The English Collective of Prostitutes, and SWARM Collective.

The takeaway

There is an emotional impact of working as an escort which can involve challenges and benefits. But with appropriate coping mechanisms and strong work-life boundaries, escorts can elevate the benefits and diminish the challenges.

Always remember to check in with how you’re feeling and contact a support network and professionals for help if needed.

Need more advice? Check out the well-being section of our blog for more escort-ready advice.