Why Intimacy Disappears (and Why It Matters)
Wed Feb 04 2026
Today, Amber Cabral kicks off a month-long series on love and intimacy by breaking down a powerful truth: intimacy doesn’t disappear because it stops mattering; it disappears because life gets full. Work, stress, responsibility, and productivity slowly crowd out the very thing that keeps us emotionally regulated, grounded, and well.
Amber reframes intimacy beyond sex and romance, explaining that intimacy is a combination of presence, vulnerability, and close connection, and that it is essential whether you’re partnered, dating, single, or intentionally alone. She shares personal experiences with disconnected relationships, guarded partnerships, and surface-level friendships, as well as the transformative power of rebuilding intimacy with herself.
"Intimacy is not a luxury. It's a fundamental part of your well-being." – Amber Cabral
This episode explores why many people deprioritize intimacy when they feel overwhelmed, how fear, insecurity, and self-protection hinder emotional availability, and why staying busy often becomes a means of avoiding vulnerability. Amber also explains why loneliness isn’t always about being alone — it’s often about not feeling seen, including by yourself.
Moreover, Amber offers intimacy reflection questions you can sit with:
• What limits have I placed on how I define intimacy?
• Where do I experience real intimacy in my life right now, if anywhere?
• Am I avoiding intimacy, or avoiding the ache of it not being there?
• What relationship (with myself, friends, or family) could hold more intimacy if I allowed it?
• How much of what I’m craving is actually me craving deeper connection with myself?
Amber closes with a powerful reminder: intimacy is not a bonus, a luxury, or a reward for having your life together. It is a fundamental part of human well-being, and when we abandon it, we widen the loneliness gap in our lives.
🛍️ Shop Amber’s Be A Good Human merch:
https://www.ambercabral.com/merch
Amber’s substack | https://humaningwell.substack.com/
www.humaningwellpodcast.com/
Amber Cabral
IG | @bamcabral
LinkedIn | @ambercabral
Facebook | @amber.cabral
X | @BamCabral
Bluesky | @bamcabral.bsky.social
Watch Amber’s TED TALK here.
You can purchase Amber's books from the retailer of your choice here: https://www.ambercabral.com/books/
Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture
Say More About That: ...And Other Ways to Speak Up, Push Back, and Advocate for Yourself and Others
Human(ing) Well is produced by
EPYC Media Network
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Today, Amber Cabral kicks off a month-long series on love and intimacy by breaking down a powerful truth: intimacy doesn’t disappear because it stops mattering; it disappears because life gets full. Work, stress, responsibility, and productivity slowly crowd out the very thing that keeps us emotionally regulated, grounded, and well. Amber reframes intimacy beyond sex and romance, explaining that intimacy is a combination of presence, vulnerability, and close connection, and that it is essential whether you’re partnered, dating, single, or intentionally alone. She shares personal experiences with disconnected relationships, guarded partnerships, and surface-level friendships, as well as the transformative power of rebuilding intimacy with herself. "Intimacy is not a luxury. It's a fundamental part of your well-being." – Amber Cabral This episode explores why many people deprioritize intimacy when they feel overwhelmed, how fear, insecurity, and self-protection hinder emotional availability, and why staying busy often becomes a means of avoiding vulnerability. Amber also explains why loneliness isn’t always about being alone — it’s often about not feeling seen, including by yourself. Moreover, Amber offers intimacy reflection questions you can sit with: • What limits have I placed on how I define intimacy? • Where do I experience real intimacy in my life right now, if anywhere? • Am I avoiding intimacy, or avoiding the ache of it not being there? • What relationship (with myself, friends, or family) could hold more intimacy if I allowed it? • How much of what I’m craving is actually me craving deeper connection with myself? Amber closes with a powerful reminder: intimacy is not a bonus, a luxury, or a reward for having your life together. It is a fundamental part of human well-being, and when we abandon it, we widen the loneliness gap in our lives. 🛍️ Shop Amber’s Be A Good Human merch: https://www.ambercabral.com/merch Amber’s substack | https://humaningwell.substack.com/ www.humaningwellpodcast.com/ Amber Cabral IG | @bamcabral LinkedIn | @ambercabral Facebook | @amber.cabral X | @BamCabral Bluesky | @bamcabral.bsky.social Watch Amber’s TED TALK here. You can purchase Amber's books from the retailer of your choice here: https://www.ambercabral.com/books/ Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture Say More About That: ...And Other Ways to Speak Up, Push Back, and Advocate for Yourself and Others Human(ing) Well is produced by EPYC Media Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.