5 Ways to Repair a Friendship (Or end it if you've outgrown it)
🙋🏽♂️If you're having conflict with a friend, or if you've lost touch with good friends or drifted apart since the pandemic, now is the opportunity to work through the misunderstandings or hurt feelings.
👋🏽If you experience conflict with a friend, how do you react? Do you ghost the friendship, or hope things smooth out?
If you're having conflict with a friend, or if you've lost touch with good friends or drifted apart since the pandemic, now is the opportunity to work through the misunderstandings or hurt feelings.
⤵️ Try out these 5 ways to repair a friendship before you move on:
📌 Welcome Conflict: Conflict doesn't necessarily mean the friendship is over. It could actually bring you closer if you work it out together. Welcome conflict as a way to recalibrate, but stay on the lookout for red flags, such as abuse or bullying.
📌Reflect & Note the Positive: Before you connect with your friend to discuss the conflict, take a few minutes to note the positive aspects of the relationship. What's been beneficial and exciting? This will help you approach the conversation from a more positive angle.
📌Give it Space: If your approach hasn't been working or friendship feels off, remember that everybody is different in how they deal with conflict, so they might need more space. Give it a time, and then try to reignite again by being proactive with an honest approach like "Hey, XXXX! I've missed you and feel like things have been a little different since XXXXX. Since I really value your friendship, I'd love the opportunity to get things back on track for us. So, I'm opening up the conversation again to see if there is anything else we should discuss?"
📌Communicate Differently: If you've tried to repair the friendship already through email, or calling, but it's still not working, try mixing it up: Write them a letter, or send a voice memo, or video.
📌Adjust the Friendship: Sometimes friends are in our lives for many chapters as a main character, and other times they are in the background. It's possible that your friendship might not be over, but perhaps have a different place in your life. This is super normal. Not all friendships are for life and that's ok.
Shoutout to Christine Koh, a writer for CNN Health for inspiring these prompts.
