Navigating the end of a friendship
- Try to be honest with the person. Do it with kindness and just talk about your own emotional availability. "I realize that I'm not a good friend right now. I just don't feel very emotionally available."
- Try to avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Friendships have cycles. Sometimes people are close, and then they drift apart. If you want to end the friendship in the drifting apart phase, you will prevent the ability to revive the friendship another time.
- It's better to show up some than not at all. Many people will avoid sending an old friend a text thinking they don't have the time for a long exchange. Send them a text anyway.
- Allow friends to "change orbit." Most people have 2 to 4 close friends, a circle of about 10 friends they do things with occasionally, a circle of casual friends, and many acquaintances. Sometimes people need to change friends because of life circumstances. Let them go with love knowing that they also have their own life paths to follow.
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