How To End A Toxic Friendship
In this article, we’ll tell you how to end a toxic friendship. At some point in our lives, we may have to end a toxic friendship, which isn’t always easy.
However, if we realize that some relationships become negative for our own well-being, then it is best to accept it and walk away from it. It is common for us to resist ourselves and avoid ending negative friendships.
Sometimes we unconsciously stay close to the wrong people. In this article we will see how to move on to distance ourselves from those who do not offer us a good friendship.
The Characteristics of a Toxic Friendship
Below we discuss a list of some of the most important characteristics of a toxic friendship. The idea is that you can recognize these behaviors in your daily life.
In this way, you can distinguish between friendships that are worth keeping and those that are not. Let’s start!
1. Even if they are with you, they are not with you
The physical presence of someone does not necessarily imply companionship. Sometimes we can feel lonely when we make plans with a group of friends. Toxic friends don’t care about your opinion or concerns. They just want you to be with them and accept everything without question.
2. They denigrately target your flaws
Friends help us realize which aspects we need to improve on, but negative friendships will target our flaws in an unconstructive way. In this way they make us feel bad and do not offer a solution.
3. They make you feel like you’re being questioned
Some people tend to question the behavior of others based on their personal criteria, which is not very empathetic. A true friend will not judge your decisions, but will understand them and give an opinion.
4. They keep you out of the spotlight
There are friends who demand constant attention and if the attention is on us for some reason, then they cannot tolerate it. People who don’t allow others to star cannot be friends, at least not in the right way.
5. There is a lack of consistency
Toxic friendships are inconsistent with what they say and often contradict their actions. For example, those people say that they support us in our plans, but at the same time they don’t get involved.
This does not mean that all of our friends should be part of our personal projects, but if there is no correlation between what is being said and their actions, then the situation is confusing. Ideally, friends should be able to be honest and clear when they don’t want to be part of a plan.
Tips and Ways to End a Toxic Friendship
After looking at the most common indicators of friendships that don’t contribute anything positive, it’s time to explore some effective ways to ignore them without costing us so much to do so.
1. Learn to set boundaries in a toxic friendship
In order to let go of a friendship that isn’t worth it, it’s important to know the things we don’t want to negotiate.
In this sense, if we are able to maintain a firm position with regard to our ideals and principles, we will know that it is best to distance ourselves from those who do not meet the same criteria.
2. Express yourself assertively
Assertive communication is an important tool to get rid of bad friendships. When we can communicate our decisions clearly, we feel at peace. It’s about not suppressing the need to run away.
Expressing yourself assertively also means putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and understanding that that person may not agree with your decision to distance themselves. However, we must stand firm and hold on to the idea. We will need to be brief, concise and respectful in explaining our motives.
3. Relieve Yourself Before Leaving the Toxic Friendship
Before you talk to the friend you want to distance yourself from, it’s a good idea to unburden your heart with someone else. The goal is to prevent emotions from becoming uncontrollable during the conversation and then everything ending in conflict.
4. Visualize the moment of the conversation
Visualization is about creating probable scenarios in our mind, similar to the ones that might arise during the conversation. In this way, we are less exposed to surprise situations. If we maintain control in tense situations, we can come out better.
5. Respect the other person’s opinion
As we’ve already said, it’s likely that the other person won’t like the decision we made. However, we must be firm in our approach. This does not mean that we should force others to think as we do. However, it is important to accept the other person’s point of view.
Can a toxic friendship stop being toxic?
It is not always necessary to distance yourself from people, sometimes relationships can be improved. A toxic friendship can stop being toxic as long as the parties involved can respect each other. You don’t have to agree on everything with your friends, but you should accept each other’s differences as much as possible.
