Do you have a friend that always attempts to dictate how you spend your time and how much you participate in activities you enjoy? The challenge is compounded by the fact that your friend likely possesses many admirable traits. However, just because you share a rich history and a lot of similar grounds doesn’t excuse their toxic behavior. This means you’ll have to figure out how to deal with toxic friends, which is never fun.
So, How To Deal With Toxic Friends?
It’s a vicious loop if you feel you’ve repeatedly been giving a chance to your friend still they haven’t changed a bit. You have shown unending mercy toward them, even though they have done nothing to earn it. You’ve done many things to try to save the friendship, but they just aren’t reciprocating your efforts. And despite your best intentions, you know things will never improve for them. Let’s explore the steps you need to take to let go of something.
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Keep In Mind That It’s Okay To Move On:
It’s time to part ways if they’re causing more trouble than they’re worth. No one wants to part with their best friend, especially because “forever” is implied by the second “F” in “BFF.” It’s good to split ways; we know this is one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do. You should never feel bad about prioritizing your happiness. Of course, it sucks to lose a friend, but you should move on to better people. Concern for your health and happiness should be your top priority.
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Be Certain About Your Choice:
If you’ve decided to cut ties with a buddy who’s been toxic, just do it. It’s not cool to confront someone. Being unsure of your friend’s reaction compounds awkwardness and fear. We should expect a serious discussion. However, you’ll have to be truthful if you want to get past this point. Give an account of how you arrived at this conclusion and the factors that led you to conclude that dissolving this friendship is in your best interests. Never resort to name-calling or accusations since these will only serve to inflame the situation further. Please keep in mind that this is not a fight. You want to keep the dialogue short and level-headed.
It’s entirely up to you how you want to approach this conversation. In-person communication is recommended if you feel comfortable doing so. You should try to rehearse your meeting remarks before the actual event. Although, if you’d rather do it over the phone or text, that’s fine too. Again, be direct while yet being fair while communicating by SMS. A simple message outlining your decision and requesting a break in communication should suffice. Your personality development skills will come in handy in such situations.
Your friend may have difficulty accepting your decision, especially if the toxic friendship has been going on for a time. Someone may try to use guilt to get what they want or beg for a second opportunity. You must decide whether or not to give them another chance. However, if you’ve traveled down this path previously, you should emphasize that this is the final stop.
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Try To Avoid Physical Contact If Possible:
Reduce your time spent together as much as possible so you may finally move on. Your deeds need to speak louder than your words, no matter how clear. Disregard their attempts to contact you through phone or text. Remove them as social media followers. There is no reason to leave any door open for them to reenter your life in any way, including the correspondence. There’s a good reason you’re excluding them, so don’t worry about coming out as petty. And if things get really bad, you already know where the ‘block’ button is.
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Relinquish Negative Emotions:
If you’ve been holding onto anger, aggravation, resentment, and other negative feelings toward a buddy, breaking up with that person will help you release them. You need to be okay, even if you never receive an apology from your former friend. It’s important to be able to put things to rest when you need to.
Visit: how to overcome inferiority complex
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Allowing Yourself Adequate Time To Mourn:
Let’s face it: ending a platonic friendship is just as difficult as ending a romantic one. There are even moments when they’re worse. So, please, take some time to think about this. If you’re feeling mentally stable enough to make such a decision, know it’s still a devastating loss. Remembering the happy experiences you shared is perfectly acceptable. You placed value on friendship. Relax; you can get through this.
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Fill the Void with Healthier Activities:
Relationships with toxic friends may be very draining. Now that it’s finished, perhaps you’re free to try something new! This might be a new beginning, an opportunity to put your needs first. Now is also an excellent time to make new friends and cultivate meaningful relationships with people who will lift you instead of dragging you down. The time has come for you to stop procrastinating and start living. You have earned a happy life. Perhaps join some personality grooming classes.
Summing up
Choosing to distance yourself from a toxic buddy is never simple, and we get that. It’s about as bad as a broken relationship, if not worse. Not now, but in a few years (or even a few months), you’ll be glad you prioritized your health and made this choice. All of these insights will serve you well in forming and evaluating future friendships. We hope some of these tips will help you understand how to deal with toxic friends.