[22M] struggling with the transition of moving in with my GF [22F]. How do I handle the need for constant attention vs. her needing space?

Hey guys,

I’m 22M and I’ve been with my girlfriend (22F) for 2 years. We just recently moved in together. Honestly, everything is great and I’m super happy with her, but I’m hitting some speed bumps with the daily routine that I didn't expect.

The biggest thing is "parallel play" or just her being on her phone. In my head, I pictured us spending every free minute together since we now share an apartment. But when she’s just scrolling through social media or texting in the evening, I feel kind of weirdly ignored? I start overthinking whether I should talk to her or if I’m being annoying by interrupting her.

Also, I’m struggling a bit with our different schedules. If she has an early appointment and gets up, I’m wide awake and can’t get back to sleep, which is frustrating. Another thing is that I find her incredibly attractive, so when she’s busy with stuff like cooking or cleaning, I often want to be intimate right then and there. I know she’s just trying to get chores done and I want to respect that, but it’s hard to just "turn off" that attraction and wait.

I’ve tried to tell myself this is all normal for a new living situation, but I’m definitely overthinking it and could really use some advice. I'm mainly wondering how I can bring up the phone thing without sounding needy or controlling, and if anyone has tips on managing my own expectations for "together time" vs. her needing to just chill on her own. I'd also love to hear how you guys deal with mismatched energy levels when one person is doing chores and the other is in the mood.

TL;DR: Moved in with my GF of 2 years. I’m struggling with her needing phone time/chores time when I want to be 100% focused on each other. Need advice on how to adjust my mindset and communicate this better.

Posted Jan 27, 2026, 2:00 PM UTC

012
Loading comments…