How to Slowly Drift Away from a Person

How to distance yourself from a friend

Some friendships or connections are destined to endure a lifetime. However, this isn’t always the case: sometimes you and a buddy have learnt all you can from each other, and it’s time to gradually let each other go. It’s difficult to terminate a friendship without hurting anyone’s emotions, but if you strive to be nice even as you cease spending so much time together, you’ll be able to part ways smoothly and without any drama.

1. Continuing

1. Put your plans on hold. If you’re certain you don’t want to communicate with your buddy any more, don’t invite them to events. Friendship requires reciprocal effort. If you don’t do your bit to organize hangouts and activities for both of you, your friendship will become unbalanced and dissolve.

2. Don’t start discussions. You may still nod and say “hey,” but if you’re trying to break up with someone, don’t simply stroll up to them and start chatting about what occurred on TV the night before. It will be perplexing for them and a waste of time for you.

• Conversations aren’t limited to face-to-face interactions; texting and social media also count. If you’re truly wanting to destroy a friendship, limit yourself to the odd “like.”
• If your ex-friend initiates a discussion with you, attempt to discontinue it as soon as possible. You may do this by not asking many questions and then saying something like “see you later!”

3. Make other plans. If a former buddy invites you to do anything with them when you’re attempting to avoid them, you should decline. Try to keep yourself busy with other friends, job or schooling, or family duties so that you’re not available when they call.

• To protect your former friend’s emotions, you may have to tell a lie. If you do, keep it short, ambiguous, and easy to recall. “I have plans on Saturday,” is OK, and if they see you roller skating with two other individuals, they will not suspect you of lying. “I have to sing the lead in an opera,” clearly, isn’t going to cut it.

4. Be courteous. You may no longer be BFFs, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely freeze this person. When you see them, be courteous, keep eye contact, and offer assistance if necessary (e.g. if they need to know what the French assignment was). You’re attempting to establish limits while avoiding hurting anyone’s emotions.

5. Don’t be dragged into a fight. If a former buddy wants to speak to you about why you’ve vanished, try to avoid a conflict. Assure them that they are not a nasty person and that they have many assets. Emphasize how busy you are and how much energy you are devoting to other things right now. You may say something like, “I’ve been spending so much time on my work that I’ve been terrible at responding to texts.”

• If you feel fake, don’t apologize too much.
• Highlight the distinctions between you. This will emphasize how much you’ve both matured and how much you’ve grown apart.

2. Deciding to Terminate a Friendship

1. Determine your motivation for drifting. Even the finest friendships, like most essential partnerships, may seem a bit restricting or monotonous every now and again. However, if you’re often upset with your buddy, it might be an indication that you’ve outgrown the connection. Consider the following:

• Do you feel as though you have nothing to say anymore? Differences are wonderful, but if you and your buddy have nothing in common anymore, your relationship may be more work than it’s worth.
• Is your buddy only in contact with you when they need something, such as your notes or your vehicle for the evening?
• When you feel taken advantage of, it’s difficult to maintain a friendship.
• Is your pal making you feel like you’re not giving it your all? We sometimes depend on folks we care about to drive us to be better. If, on the other hand, your buddy is always correcting you or making you feel horrible about yourself, you may be better off without them.

2. Now is the time to leave an abusive buddy. Not every friendship that has passed its prime should end naturally. If you have a buddy that is physically or emotionally abusive to you, go away as soon as possible. Friendships, like romantic relationships, may be abusive, therefore it’s important to take care of yourself as much as possible.

• Detecting abuse in a friendship may be difficult. In general, being afraid to be around your buddy (whether because of anything they do or say) is a terrible indicator.
• There’s nothing wrong with abruptly halting to talk to someone who frightens you.

3. Allow some time. Sit on it for a couple of weeks if you’ve recognized a friendship that’s on its way out but there’s no need to sever it totally. A sluggish drift is, by definition, slow. There’s no need to hurry into it, so be cautious.

• You may notice that you are missing your friend or craving their company again. If so, hang out with them one more time. Do you have fun together, or do you feel the same problems are in place?
• Your friend might have also noticed that your friendship is cooling. If this happens, they might initiate a slow drift of their own. If they do this, that makes things easier; you don’t have to put any energy into ending the friendship.^[11]

4. You may begin to miss your pal or want their companionship once again. If so, spend some extra time with them. Do you having fun together, or do you feel like you’re dealing with the same issues?
Your buddy may have realized that your relationship is cooling as well. If this occurs, they may begin their own steady drift. If they do this, it makes things simpler since you won’t have to use any effort to discontinue the friendship.

3. Keeping a Safe Distance

1. Don’t go out by yourself. Once you’ve successfully drifted off from someone (meaning they’ve received the message and stopped attempting to make arrangements with you), make every effort to avoid seeing them one-on-one. Of course, this entails continuing to avoid making plans. Also, avoid being teamed up for projects or other forms of collaboration.

2. You’ll know when you’ll see them. If you belong to the same group, you will most likely be asked to the same events or parties from time to time. Be as prepared as possible for this so you don’t feel guilty or surprised. Arrive and go with other pals if feasible, so you don’t feel too exposed.

• Sometimes other friends who weren’t involved stigmatize both people involved in a friend drift or breakup.^[13] Pay this no mind; just keep being polite to everyone.

3. Other friends who were not engaged in a friend drift or breakup may stigmatize both persons involved. Don’t worry about it; just keep being kind to everyone.

• Don’t tell anybody too much about your choice to discontinue the friendship. It may seem that you are disparaging your former acquaintance, which makes you look awful.
• Don’t give your pal any unflattering “truths,” such as “no one wants to be friends with you because you’re dull.” It’s a cruel thing to do to someone who is weak, and it won’t help them develop.

4. Don’t chastise yourself. It would be fantastic if all friendships were really eternal, but they aren’t always: we meet individuals who educate us about ourselves and the world, and then we go on. If possible, try to focus on safeguarding everyone’s emotions and on what you’ve learnt from the friendship.

5. Make an effort to maintain your surviving friendships. A failed connection has most likely taught you a lot about what you’re searching for: shared interests, encouragement, and simple communication are all characteristics of a good friendship. Put your energy into people you care about so that they might flourish.

• Keep in touch. Social networking is a fantastic glue, but so is face-to-face touch. Use a combination of the two.
• Make plans for excursions. Make the most of your shared time by planning activities that both you and your companion will appreciate.
• Be truthful, and learn from your errors. This is the greatest approach to guarantee that your friendship’s demise was not in vain.