If your former friend left town, try calling a mutual friend who might also be missing them. Talking about your former friend together can help you both get over your sadness. You can say, “Hi Mary, I’m feeling very sad since Joan left town. I really miss laughing at her jokes. Do you miss her, too?” If you’ve had a fight with your former friend, call someone you trust to talk about your feelings of anger or betrayal. Tell them what happened in your fight and ask for their objective opinion on what happened. For example, you could say, “I got into a horrible fight with Sue last week. I asked her for the $20 she owed me, and she yelled at me and told me I was petty. Do you think I was petty for asking for her to pay me back? Do you think she overreacted?”
Look online for community meet-ups. Many cities have meet-up groups that share a common interest like playing board games, knitting, or playing music. Check social media sites and meet-up message boards to find out what’s going on in your area. Volunteer. Look for volunteer opportunities with community service groups working in fields that interest you. Not only can you meet new people, but you also might learn something and have fun doing it, too. Join a community sports team. Parks and gyms often host community sports activities that are easy to join. If there are no organized sports teams in your area, look for community basketball courts or soccer fields where people engage in pick-up games. People who play these games are usually friendly and welcome new people to join their teams.
If the item is something valuable, such as a family heirloom, a piece of jewelry, or electronic equipment, consider returning the item to your former friend. You may not have the right to keep precious objects just because your friendship ended. To determine if you should return it or not, ask yourself if you would want them to return the object to you if they had something of yours that was valuable. Other, less valuable items, such as ticket stubs or items of clothing, you may want to throw away or donate to a charity. Think twice before destroying or getting rid of items that are irreplaceable, such as photographs or works of art. Once you have recovered from the pain of losing your friend, you may regret that you got rid of these items. If you think you might find a particular item special in the future, place it in storage by boxing it up and hiding it in a closet or attic, or asking someone else to store it for you.
Don’t delete your former friend’s contact information if you are no longer friends because you or they moved away. It’s okay to call or email an old friend, even if you haven’t spoken to them in a few months or even years. You may take a vacation to the place they moved to one day and contact them to visit.
Even if you still like your former friend, you may want to unfollow them on social media until you are over the pain of not seeing them regularly. Staying in continued contact with your former friend may make it difficult for you to move on with your life and meet new people.
Only make conversation if you want to do so. If your former friend approaches you to start a conversation, politely tell them that you do not want to talk. For example, you can say: “It’s nice to see you, but I’m really not ready to talk to you right now. ” Alternatively, you can tell them that you are too busy to talk, and politely walk away.
If you find that your entire friendship was harmful to you, be glad knowing that it is behind you. If you find that your friendship was a very strong one, consider whether or not you really want to cut this person out of your life. You may want to stay in contact with them and look for ways to repair your friendship. Even if a friend moved far away, you can retain a friendship with them by writing to each other and talking over the internet or on the phone.
