How do you put an end to a friendship that no longer fulfills you?

Any breakup is difficult, whether it's a relationship or a friendship that no longer works. The reasons why you end up ending a friendship can be various, and the moment you decide to take this step can be very difficult for both parties. That's why it's good to know how to end a friendship that no longer fulfills you. Read the whole story: How to end a friendship that no longer fulfills you.

Reasons to End a Friendship

Before you decide to end a friendship, it's helpful to find out why you don't want to be friends with someone. This brings clarity and helps you to share the news more easily, but also to move on.

One way would be to write your feelings in a diary, where you can express your thoughts in a safe space without discussing them with others. The most important thing is not to talk about your feelings with the person you want to befriend until you have everything clear in your mind.

Here are some common reasons why you might choose to end a friendship:

• Circumstances: Your lives have changed (stop working together, don't go to the same school, etc.).

• Emotional distance: Separated from interests or commitments

• Lie: You discovered a series of repeated lies and hiding from that friend.

• Toxicity: Your friend has become a toxic person, whose presence affects your mood

• Transformation of the relationship: The relationship has become more of an obligation, a relationship of complacency, which no longer brings you joy.

A friend should never ask you to - compromise your integrity, act against your values, tell a lie or hurt someone. Although separation feels like a significant loss, someone who no longer makes a positive contribution to your life no longer deserves a place in it.

How NOT to End a Friendship

Before we talk about the best ways to end a friendship, it is helpful to consider some of the most ineffective ways.

Healthy Ways to End a Friendship

When you decide to end a friendship that no longer fulfills you, you can consider the following strategies. Some of them work and are applied in combination:

Keep your distance from the person.

This tactic involves letting the friendship end naturally, gradually reducing the social interaction with the other person. Gradually leaving the friendship may be a good option if you are afraid of confrontation, if the person is likely to disobey or accept what you are saying, or for toxic situations.

Talk to clarify feelings

If gradual distancing is not appropriate or not working, then you will need to engage in a discussion similar to the one you would have in a romantic relationship to determine where each of you is.

Schedule a meeting with that person, build your speech by thinking about the result you want to achieve, and talk honestly about how you feel.

Pause

The conclusion of the discussion may be that the differences cannot be resolved. If so, what do you do? You could end your friendship immediately or you could decide to "take a break", just as people sometimes do in romantic relationships.

There are some positive aspects to taking a break:

In the future you plan to meet again or suggest that you get in touch when you feel ready.

Putting Things to an End Sometimes

It's impossible to avoid the chaos that comes with the sudden end of a friendship. This is all the more plausible when you are dealing with a toxic friend or someone who does not respect the boundaries you are trying to establish.

In this situation, simply say that your needs are not met in friendship. This type of separation can be good because it is clear and you have the chance to express any problems you have hidden in the past.

Breaking up a friendship can be as stressful and emotionally exhausting as ending a romantic relationship. It is normal to feel sad, frustrated or angry, it is important to give yourself time and treat yourself with gentleness and acceptance. Just like a divorce, keeping the proportions of course, breaking up a friendship will become easier over time.