No one enjoys a breakup, but a friendship breakup is truly something else. In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that sometimes the end of a friendship is worse than splitting with a romantic partner.
Whether you had a dramatic falling out or simply grew apart due to different priorities, it’s never a fun time. After all, it’s saying goodbye to someone who you thought would always be there for you – hence the term BFF (aka Best Friend Forever).
Given that we’re all going to experience friends coming in and out of our lives at some point, we wanted to provide some tips on how to deal with a friendship breakup and navigate this tricky period.
1. Let your feelings out to someone
It doesn’t matter if it’s a family member, another close friend, or even a therapist, it’s important not to just keep all of your feelings bottled up inside. Even if the person just sits there and listens, it gives you a chance to let it all out.
Plus, once you’ve said everything that was going through your mind, you’ll probably feel much better for it, and you might even come to realise that it’s all for the best.
In saying that, it’s probably best to not just go around openly saying bad things about your former friend to other people (especially to any mutual friends you share). Let’s be honest, it’s not going to make anything better and could potentially lead to some awkwardness and regret once things have settled.
2. Focus on your other friendships
Whilst it’s sad to lose a friend, that doesn’t just immediately mean that you’re all alone. So, why not use this as a sign that you should focus on other friendships!
If you’ve already got a solid group of friends as it is, count yourself lucky! Alternatively, if there’s someone’s company you’ve always enjoyed but you’ve never been super close, there’s nothing stopping you from reaching out and trying to build on that friendship either.
As we get older, it can become harder to find ways to make new friends, but this doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Whether you try out a new hobby, join a nearby club, or put yourself out there on friendship apps, there are lots of ways to find potential besties once you’re ready. Of course, it’s important not to just go out looking for new friendships for the sake of it.
Remember to let your closest friends, or newer pals, know just how much they mean to you with one of our wonderful friendship cards!
3. Write a letter but don’t send it
When it comes to finding closure following the loss of a friendship, you might find writing a completely honest letter quite therapeutic, and it could just generally help with letting things go. You don’t even need to send the letter, as the act of writing it all out will probably do the job.
Obviously, it’s up to you if you do decide to send a letter or text their way, but it’s important to consider that you might not get the response you want. Instead, once you finish your letter, you could tear it up or burn it.
4. Prioritise yourself
Going through a friend breakup, much like a romantic split, is the perfect excuse for making more of an effort to prioritise yourself. After all, we should all consistently practice self-care in order to make sure that we’re the best we can be.
This includes setting boundaries and giving yourself distance, which may even mean muting or unfollowing the person on social media (yes, that means no stalking). By doing this, you’re not going to have the space needed to move on and avoid being randomly reminded of them.
Another great way to prioritise yourself is to focus on the things that you love and that bring you joy. Examples of this may be doing little acts of kindness for others, listening to some bad bitch music, or spending more time on your favourite hobby.
5. Accept that things are going to be a little different
Last but not least is just coming to terms with the fact that they’re not going to be a part of your life anymore, and that’s okay. Contrary to popular belief, not all friendships are supposed to last forever, and some just run their course.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t be sad about it (for full main character energy, feel free to whack on some sad tunes and cry your heart out). It’s also important to remember that even though things are going to be a little different, you will adjust to this.
In some cases, you and the other person may have mutual friends, and it’s only natural that this might feel a bit awkward at first. But there’s no reason you can’t make it work! It’s a little extra fuss, but once you explain the situation, they should understand and make time to hang out with you separately.
If you’re dealing with the end of a friendship, we hope that this blog will help you find the good in the situation. And if you’re interested in positive and uplifting friendship stories, be sure to check out the rest of the thortful blog where we’ve got tips on how to keep in touch with long-distance friends and cute best friend quotes to celebrate your favourite people.
Maybe you know someone who’s recently gone through a bestie breakup? Well, why not send this blog their way? Or, if you’re really set on trying to cheer them up, one of our Send a Smile cards complete with a sweet note from yourself will most definitely brighten their day!
