Life is sometimes hard, and sometimes our friends become our safe place to share and get it through. However, as life continues, dynamics change, friends change, and we drift apart. There is always a healthy way to drift apart without anything getting out of hand and becoming toxic. Here are some tips on when to know it is time to move on and let go of a friend for your well-being:
- Understand what you need.
Sometimes between two peoples, priorities change, and what we need during a particular state of mind differs. During this period, it is natural for people to argue and be unwilling to hang out. If this occurs, one should communicate and be open-minded to understand the other person. In this process, you should ask yourself what you want in a friendship. Is it emotional support, mental, or just someone to hang out with and have fun with? Once you understand what you need, you will only be able to support your friends and have a healthy relationship with them.
- Understand you guys are not saying goodbye forever but rather making new friends.
Expanding your friend circle is a fantastic way to connect with people, but sometimes your prior close friend may not feel included with your new group of friends. Therefore it is normal to feel dismayed by your friend or even think that your friend is not getting your new life. Again communication would be crucial, or this would be a time where you want to ease up and make space between you and your friend. The space will allow both of you time to figure out what you genuinely need and time to find your ways.
- Always end on a positive note.
Ending things on a positive note will help you in the long run. When you have been friends for a long time, the places you go, eat, and the people you intermingle with don’t change; rather stay the same. Due to this, bumping into each other is normal, and ending it on a good note will help you to be friendly and excited to reconnect with one another rather than hiding and having a bad time.