Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Try to let go
• Part 2 of 3: Seek help
• Part 3 of 3: Moving on with your life

There are many reasons why a friendship can end. Sometimes people get caught up in differences of opinion that they cannot resolve among themselves. In other cases, people go their separate ways. You may find yourself in a situation where, despite all your best efforts, some friends are unwilling or unable to be friends with you any longer. These are sad moments, but it can happen to anyone. Remember that you have the strength to let go of this situation and move on with your life.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Try to let go

1. Take time to mourn. Losing a friend can be very sad. Pretending that nothing happened or suppressing the sadness you are experiencing may seem like a good idea for the short term, but this will make it a lot harder to let go of the moment in the end. Recognize that you've lost someone important and allow yourself to feel sad about this.
   • Don't be afraid to cry. Crying can be a great way to give space to emotions.
   • Listening to sad music or watching a sad movie is a cathartic experience that will make you feel better after the misery. It reinforces the idea that you are not alone with such feelings and will give you hope that better times are ahead.
2. Delete old messages. Try not to hold on to old text messages, messages, or emails to avoid reading them again. Reading old messages over and over will only intensify the sadness and loneliness after your friendship has ended.
   • Consider saving copies of old messages to a USB stick or external hard drive and then keeping them with a friend or family member. There may come a time in the future when it will no longer be painful for you to reread old messages to reminisce about old times.
3. Stop removing or following the person on social media. Seeing what your friends are doing online will only keep you thinking about the past instead of the future. You will regain yourself more quickly and be able to leave the unpleasant moment behind you faster if you are not constantly exposed to messages from old friends or girlfriends on Facebook.
4. Delete photos. You don't necessarily have to delete old photos, although this is of course an option. Get rid of all the things that remind you of your friendship with the person. Think of souvenirs or gifts.
5. Write down your feelings. A good way to put your feelings in place is to put them on paper. You may have questions about what went wrong or you may be angry with your friends. You can deal with these emotions by writing a letter to your friends, although they will eventually not see it. After you have written the letter, you can tear it up or keep it. The purpose of writing the letter is to deal with the feelings you are experiencing.
6. Don't blame yourself. Don't see the situation as a reflection of who you are as a person. There are many reasons why friendships end. Even if you feel somewhat responsible for the person in question no longer wanting to be friends with you, understand that friendships are 50/50. You have no control over other people.

Part 2 of 3: Seek help

1. Visit a therapist. If you are having trouble letting go of the situation, it can be helpful to give these feelings a place in a professional setting. A well-trained therapist is able to listen to your side of the story about what went wrong in the friendship and help you learn from mistakes made.
2. Call a relative. When you have a problem with a friend, it is sometimes wise to seek help from someone in your family. If possible, you could call someone who may have been through the same thing in the past. This could be a parent or grandparent who has more life experience than you, although each family member could provide a tremendous amount of support on its own.
3. Consult friends who are not friends with the person in question. Seek support from people who don't know the boyfriend or girlfriend you are no longer hanging out with. They can listen to you and give an objective assessment of the situation. Make it clear to them that you really appreciate their support. Keep in mind that even though you have lost a friend, you are not completely without friends.
4. Consider mutual friendships. Mutual friends may not be the best people to turn to for support if you need help dealing with the ending friendship. This puts shared friends in an uncomfortable position. You also run the risk of alienating more people if others feel like you're trying to get them by your side. That said, you can still approach these friends for companionship. It can be a good way to see that people still care about you.
   • Don't talk about the boyfriend or girlfriend who no longer wants to hang out with you.
   • Try to focus on the things you still have in common with your current friends.
5. Don't say bad things about the boyfriend / girlfriend you lost. It can be a very emotional moment when a friend no longer wants to hang out with you. Avoid the temptation to say bad things about the person or tarnish their reputation. When the emotions have become less intense, both of you may realize that the friendship is still salvageable. Your bond may even be stronger after having a disagreement of this format. You don't want to make the situation worse or reduce the chance of the friendship being restored by saying bad things about the other person.

Part 3 of 3: Moving on with your life

1. Know that you will make new friends. Many people come and go in our lives. Your friendship may simply have ended. Try to think of this as an empty space in your life that you can fill with new, stronger friendships.
2. Be grateful. When a friendship ends, it is quite easy to focus on the negative things. Make an inventory of the things in your life that you are grateful for. List the names of the people you have a strong relationship with, the skills you have that you are proud of, the groups you belong to, and tasks you enjoy performing. Keep the list handy, in your wallet or purse, for example, or hang it above your desk so that you can always look at it when you feel lonely.
3. Get out of the house. Sitting at home and dwelling on friendships that have ended will make them harder to let go. If you find yourself spending too much time at home and feel sad about this, you should get out and about. Go for a run in the open air or go to the gym. Go to a place where you are surrounded by other people, such as a coffee house, the library or a concert.
4. Take classes. Taking up a new hobby can be a great distraction and can help you meet new friends. Sign up for something you are interested in to keep yourself busy. Yoga or group meditation in particular can be very helpful when you experience a lot of stress. You could also participate in cooking or dance classes, or learn how to play a particular instrument.
5. Do your favorite activities. Don't let ended friendships dissuade you from the activities you usually enjoy. Make sure you take extra time for the things you love to do and make yourself happy again. Read, play a video game, hang out with other friends, play an instrument. Keep yourself busy.
6. Be patient. Getting back to yourself after losing a friend takes time. While you may experience real feelings of loneliness and depression, you should realize that no feeling lasts forever and that as long as you take good care of yourself, you will find the strength to regain yourself.