Intimacy Without Sex: What It Looks Like and Why It Matters

There are periods when a couple doesn't have sex: after childbirth, during illness, when apart, in a stretch of exhaustion and stress. And almost immediately a worried thought appears: if there's no intimacy, the relationship has turned into cohabitation or friendship. That's not true. Intimacy is broader than sex, and it can live its own life even during a pause. Let's look at what it's made of and how to sustain it, so the pause doesn't become distance.

What intimacy is when you take sex out of the picture

Intimacy is the feeling of being seen, heard, and chosen. It shows up in small things: how you're greeted after a hard day, whether what matters to you is remembered, whether your mood is noticed, whether your opinion is asked for and not just household matters.