How to Cope With the End of a Friendship
Beginning a friendship can be exhilarating and memorable, but coming to the end of a relationship between friends can be a whole other story. There are hurt feelings, bad blood and moments you wish you could forget.
Although never easy, the tips below will help you bounce back from the end of a friendship in no time.
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Take a Pause
Feeling like the end of a relationship is near can send us into overdrive. We run would-be scenarios in our head and constantly think about what we could've done differently. Before you worry yourself to exhaustion, take a long pause. It's not your fault, life happens. Relationships end, its a natural part of growing up.
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Put Things Into Perspective
After you stop all of the negative voices in your head, remember that this is just one friendship out of the dozens you have formed. Remind yourself that although this particular friendship perhaps means a lot to you, there are other friendships that could blossom into something even better.
Don't blind yourself by only recalling this particular friend. Remember that most of your good memories involve more than one person and that changing friendships is just a fact of life. Put this one friendship into perspective and remind yourself there are dozens of other special people in your life.
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Always Be the Bigger Person
When coping with the end of a friendship, don't forget to always be the bigger person. Don't badmouth your ex-pal or put words in their mouth. Leave with your head high because your character is all you will have when the day is done. Life is funny sometimes, and who knows? In a few months you could be pals again. The last thing you want is your words haunting you if the friendship has its ups and downs. You will always regret speaking negatively, you will never regret being the bigger person.
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Accept and Move On
The last steps you need to complete when coping with the end of a friendship is accepting the situation and moving on. Don't waste your time looking back at the relationship or wishing that things turned out differently. Keep your sights on your future and on the many exciting friendships that are yet to come for you. Regardless of who you ultimately believe is at fault for this friendship's demise, use its outcome as a learning experience and think about what you can do differently in the future to avoid a repeat with someone else.
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