If you worry that someone might be a bad influence, you feel like they might be hindering your efforts at being a better person, or they muffle your personality… then you should probably trust your instinct and cut them loose, at least for a while.
The easiest way of removing a negative person may be to simply walk away. By walking away, you take away their audience and remove yourself from their influence. Whether this is a permanent break or just temporary, unless they have you locked in a car/room with them, then you almost always have an escape.
Finally, removing toxic people from your life can be deeply painful, as you may deeply care for some of these people in spite of how difficult it is to have them in your life. To maintain your resilience and cope with any sadness, stay in close contact with those who make you feel safe, cherished, and happy.
It's important to surround yourself with people who make you feel good, so don't be afraid to let go of toxic friendships! It can be difficult to realize that you need to remove someone from your life, but it is often necessary. If someone is consistently toxic, it is best to distance yourself from them.
Talk about the fun times or the things you've learned from them. Then, explain why you've come to the difficult decision to end the friendship. Lombardo suggests using “I” statements to take ownership of how you feel because “you” statements can lead the other person to become defensive.
If there is no other solution and if you truly believe that ghosting a friend is in the best interest of your mental health and wellbeing, do not be afraid to take that step. In cases such as this, there is more than enough reason when people ghost a toxic or harmful person.
Cutting someone off can be a basic function of self-respect and self-valuation. Relationship expert Rachael Pace writes about this and makes a savvy point: “Letting toxic people become manipulative and use you for their own good is never a good sign.
Signs This Is True in Your Relationship
You feel unfulfilled or misunderstood by your partner, or as though they don't care for you as they should. You long for someone else to date. You feel the need to change who your partner is, or you communicate your needs and nothing is changing.
Unfriending isn't impolite or immature if doing so gives you peace of mind, makes you a better person, and helps you move on to better things—so if unfriending someone becomes necessary at any point in your life, don't hesitate.
It is important to strive for friendships that leave us feeling heard, respected, appreciated, safe, and loved. There is nothing wrong with ending friendships. This is a healthy part of sending boundaries and practicing self-care.
Gently, let them know that it was hard for you to support them and be a good friend and that it was causing you mental anguish and stress. Don't blame them for the end of the friendship or make them feel bad for going through a tough time, but instead take ownership of your decisions and your choices.
The person who is unhealthy for you might be a close friend, relative, work associate, or even your spouse. No matter who it is, if your relationship is harming your mental health, the best decision you can make is to cut them out of your life.
Reduce contact and take a break from seeing and talking to them especially when they hurt you. Dodge their calls and texts when you don't feel like talking to them. Slowly fading them out will help you move on from the negative equation or set them straight if they're afraid of losing friendship with you.
A toxic person is anyone whose behavior adds negativity and upset to your life. Many times, people who are toxic are dealing with their own stresses and traumas. To do this, they act in ways that don't present them in the best light and usually upset others along the way.
Going scorched earth with statements like “I'm done” or “I want a divorce” — or even “I hate you” — can do considerable damage, even if you don't mean them. Getting angry with each other is normal. But lashing out and saying extreme things in the heat of the moment is just unhealthy, Whetstone said.