Love Without Sex: How to Transition To A Non-Sexual Relationship
7 questions to ask yourself if you're looking to transition to a non-sexual, but still romantic, relationship with a partner:
1. How important is s-x to you in a relationship, and what function does it serve in terms of expressing love and intimacy? Are there ways you can express your affection that still feels satisfying and fulfilling, or is it a non-negotiable for you to have physical intimacy in a romantic connection?
2. What does it mean for you to take s-x out of the relationship, and what challenges come up for you emotionally (e.g. fears around self-worth and unattractiveness, abandonment, rejection)? How much are these fears based in reality? Are you able to reframe this change in a more positive way?
3. How do you process grief and change? What will help you navigate this transition and come to a place of acceptance about this new stage of your relationship? How can you create space to feel your feelings without letting them overly cloud your decision-making?
4. What aspects of the relationship (outside of s-x) do you value and find fulfilling? Is it worth it to you to maintain this relationship without s-xual intimacy, and would you still view it as a romantic dynamic, or a platonic one? What is the difference for you personally?
5. If either one of you are forming s-xual relationships with other people, how would you feel seeing your partner form a type of connection with someone else that you don't have with them? Can you manage those feelings without resentment, and if so, how?
6. Be honest with yourself: are you truly motivated, on a personal level, to put in the work to make this transition happen as smoothly as possible? Or, are you doing it because you fear losing your partner entirely, so you're trying to just take what you can get even if it makes you miserable?
7. How can you use this as an opportunity to expand your definition of love, intimacy, commitment, and relationships, to view your connection as unique and independent from those you form with others, and to value and appreciate your new dynamic as it is rather than what it could have been?
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