Our friendships evolve throughout life. What we realize is that sometimes friendships no longer serve us. Some signs of toxic behavior are easier to spot. Friends can be manipulative, not respect our boundaries, or they guilt-trip us.
Here are a few more subtle signs that it may be time to let the friendship go:
1. They never seem happy for you. A good friend will be your biggest cheerleader and celebrate your wins. A toxic friend may try to compete with you and undermine your success.
2. The friendship seems one-sided. You may feel like you are always the one reaching out to connect, working your schedule around them, making the plans. You don’t see effort from them like you used to.
3. You’ve outgrown them. Maybe they are still into going to the bars to meet people, and you’d prefer to have one-on-one conversations with them somewhere quiet. Maybe they are doing things or hanging out with people that don’t interest you anymore. It’s okay to move on.
And the biggest one, in my opinion:
4. You feel drained by them. You leave interactions with them feeling exhausted or emotionally drained. Your mood may drop, or you may feel anxious.
Pay close attention to how they make you feel, and if it’s negative, it may be time to move on from the friendship.