Last Updated on November 18, 2022 by Anne-Sophie Reinhardt
It could have been you who decided to end the friendship, or your ex-friend. It could have been toxic, codependent, or completely fine and wholesome. You might have drifted apart slowly or it might have ended abruptly. But in the end, it will surely cause painful emotions. So, how can you get over a friendship breakup?
What You Should Do After a Friendship Breakup?
Recognize Your Pain
Your grief is normal. The pain of breaking up with a close friend is just as real as any other. Your friend and you probably shared nearly everything and spent almost all of your time together. Talking on the phone for hours, you exchanged endless messages and texts. It’s all gone. This loss of intimacy is very real. It’s valid. It hurts. Please don’t tell yourself that it’s not important.
Take Care Of Yourself After A Friendship Breakup
It may seem easier to stay in bed and mop all day, but it is important that you get up and do something for yourself. Maintain your personal hygiene and take part in your daily/weekly activities, even if it’s not something you enjoy doing. You can recover from the pain by just going about your daily routine. You can find satisfaction and joy by engaging in hobbies. This could include reading, writing music, creating art or socializing. You might also enjoy getting a massage, taking a walk on the beach, or doing something else. It’s self-care if it provides a healthy outlet and makes you feel better.
Avoid Rumination
That’s psychology terminology for looking at old thoughts until they interfere with your happiness. If you feel more sad than usual, you can avoid looking through old text and photos all day. You can delete your old texts and photos if you feel it will help you move on. But, remember that erasing the memory of someone is not what you want. It is important to feel the emotion and not pretend it never happened.
Exercise After A Friendship Breakup
Sign up for a gym. You can do strength training, yoga, and Pilates. Run around the block. You can also pick up something new. You can have amazing benefits for your mental health and overall well-being. It can prevent depression and anxiety from developing, and can even reduce depressive symptoms in teenagers.
Talk To Someone
It could be a parent or caregiver, a school counselor, or a friend. You might consider asking for support from someone you know, such as a neighbor, friend in another group, or a relative who is attending the same school. Realizing that you have good friends, even if they live far away, can help you to feel better about the split. You will have to slowly learn to detach your emotions from that friendship by acknowledging and sharing with others.
Learn From Others In Your Situation
It’s easy to believe that you are the only one who is grieving for a lost friend. You might be wrong. Google “friendship breakdown” to see a list of useful articles and advice on how to deal with exactly what you are going through. You can feel more positive about your situation by reading about the experiences of others.
You Might Consider Joining A New Friend Group After A Friendship Breakup
It is possible that your former friend was in the same group as you. This could lead to awkward situations. You might want to try getting closer to new people or branching out with other classmates at school if this happens. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for this. You should be prepared for anxiety when you go to a different cafeteria table at lunch.
Find Out What Went Wrong In The Friendship
Friendships can often turn sour when one friend acts insensitively towards the other. Sometimes, the toxic behavior is mutual. Sometimes toxic behavior is caused by mental health issues. You may consider seeking outpatient therapy if you believe there are issues that need to be addressed. This is especially important if it isn’t the first time this has happened in a friendship or if you have noticed a pattern in your own life.
Assess Your Emotional Health After A Friendship Breakup
A lot of grief can be caused by Platonic divorces. Seek mental health help immediately if you feel that life isn’t worth living or if you have thoughts about suicide. If you don’t take action to deal with your loss and grief, feeling extreme sadness can lead to clinical depression. Outpatient therapy may be necessary if you are diagnosed with clinical depression. You may need to be admitted to a mental health treatment facility if your depression becomes severe.
Remember That Friendships And Friends Change Over Time
You might believe that a close friend will always be your best friend. But friendships don’t always last forever, despite your expectations. Friends can change throughout your entire life. You should think about this: The friends you made in middle school may not be the same as the ones you made in high school.
Even though you are not yet there, you need to know that your high school friends will not always be with you when you go to college. And whether you go to college or not, things change when you join the workforce: you develop a new set of work-friends/colleagues, completely different than friends you had in the past. This should bring you comfort. Even though this friendship is over, keep in mind that you will continue to make friends as you go along. They’ll continue enriching your lives just like you’ll enrich theirs.
