Anna Pulley – Page 7 –

Our brains are wired to rely on physical presence as proof of closeness, writes Anna Pulley. To counteract that in a long-distance relationship, try to build rituals that signal intimacy even without geography. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: I shut down in long-distance relationships

August 28, 2025 at 3:27 p.m.

Dear Anna, I’ve been dating my boyfriend for about six months, and we moved in together pretty quickly — it’s been wonderful, and I feel really loved. The challenge is...

Showing up is what couples do for each other, writes Anna Pulley, not skipping family and social events to say home playing video games. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: Help! My partner always skips social gatherings

August 22, 2025 at 11:53 a.m.

Dear Anna, I've been with my boyfriend for over six years, and I'm exhausted from constantly attending family gatherings and social events alone while he stays home playing video games....

Watch for the difference between being “lost” and being unmotivated, writes Anna Pulley. Plenty of people don’t know their exact career path but still work steadily toward something (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: My partner won’t step up — am I helping or enabling?

August 22, 2025 at 11:13 a.m.

Dear Anna, I’ve been with my boyfriend for three years, and I love him — he’s funny, supportive and kind. Right now, we’re living at my sister’s place while saving...

It’s OK to want your partner to lie to you a little, writes Anna Pulley. Not about big things, but about ego-softening, soul-soothing things. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: My boyfriend doesn’t think I’m ‘hot’

August 8, 2025 at 3:14 p.m.

Dear Anna, I’ve been dating my boyfriend for almost a year, and for the most part, things are great — we’re even talking about moving in together.

Body insecurities usually stem from internal issues, not external ones, and working out to please someone else often makes insecurities worse, not better, writes Anna Pulley. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: My boyfriend’s fitness comments hurt my self-esteem

July 31, 2025 at 12:29 p.m.

Dear Anna, I've been dating my boyfriend for two months, and while he's incredibly kind and caring, I'm struggling with something that's making me feel insecure. He regularly makes comments...

Communicate what you want in a relationship early — even on first dates, if it feels right, writes Anna Pulley. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: Why being inexperienced in bed is a good thing

July 25, 2025 at 4:32 p.m.

Dear Anna, I’m a late-bloomer lesbian — came out at 40, two years ago — and was lucky to have a gentle, affirming first relationship that made me feel safe...

Dating doesn’t have to be an endless mess of swipes and disappearing acts, writes Anna Pulley. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: Dating with confidence after a long break

July 17, 2025 at 12:45 p.m.

Dear Anna, I recently got out of a long-term relationship — seven years, monogamous, talked-about-getting-married serious. I’m 34, and this is the first time I’ve been properly single since my...

There’s nothing wrong with passions and hobbies, but no one wants to feel like they’re coming in second to a Nikon camera, writes Anna Pulley. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: I’m competing with my boyfriend’s hobby for attention

July 9, 2025 at 4:55 p.m.

Dear Anna, I’ve been with my partner for two years in a rocky but loving relationship. Our main issue is his all-consuming passion for photography. He's on his camera club's...

This photo illustration shows icons of Google's AI app Gemini (or Bard), center left, OpenAI's app ChatGPT, center right, and other AI apps on a smartphone screen in Oslo, Norway, on July 12, 2023. (Olivier Morin/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

Ask Anna: My partner uses AI for emotional support instead of me

July 3, 2025 at 11:36 a.m.

Dear Anna, I've been with my girlfriend for eight months, and I'm starting to feel like I'm competing with her phone for her attention — but not in the way...

Meaningful relationships require more than physical chemistry, they need emotional intimacy, shared values and mutual investment, writes Anna Pulley. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Ask Anna: Hookup culture burnout and unavailable crush cycles

June 26, 2025 at 5:50 p.m.

Dear Anna, I'm a 38-year-old gay man living in a midsize city, and I'm completely exhausted by the dating scene here. It feels like every guy I meet on the...

All Stories