A guide to outgrown friendships.
It’s no secret, growing up is really freaking tough.
You’ve got hormones going nuts every which way, what feels like a million new experiences coming at you all at once, and to top it all off, suddenly your best friend since kindy has stopped responding to your Snapchat streaks, and you have no idea what you’ve done wrong.
Outgrowing friendships is a super uncomfortable, sometimes unexplainable process. Everything might be fine one day, and then the next it’s like you’re totally off the same page - in fact, you’re reading an entirely different book!
Not to worry, Billie crew. We want to remind you that sudden distance between mates you might’ve had forever is (believe it or not) actually a pretty normal process. Most people will have a childhood friend they no longer see or speak to. The simple fact is that you may never know what happened between you two other than, you grew up and grew apart.
But, we’ve got you covered with a guide on how to deal with outgrowing friendships - because let’s be real, sometimes friendship breakups hurt even more than romantic ones.
Firstly, echoing Billie's guide to coping with heartbreak, it is totally okay and healthy to cry it out! Crying is a great way to face tough emotions head-on and really allow yourself to feel upset - it’s only natural! We recommend following up this crying sesh with an epic self care night. Raid the Kmart beauty aisle, light your fave candles, chuck on an episode of your comfort show (my personal choice is Brooklyn 99), and have the best sleep of your life.
Next, acknowledging how you’re really feeling about how this friendship ended can be hard, but it is also an important step toward moving on. Finding a good support system to talk about how you’re feeling is vital to making sure that you are doing the best that you can be. There are so many people who will listen to what you have to say, and who genuinely want the best for you! Think your parents, siblings, or other close friends. If you’re finding it tough to open up with those you know, feel free to call Youthline for a chat: 0800 376 633. They are kind, qualified people who would love to help you get back on track and back to slaying the day away!
Finally, be reassured that it will get better! Losing a friend is so, so hard. It can leave you feeling confused, hurt, and even pretty rejected. But in times like these, I like to remind myself that everything happens for a reason. Maybe you guys are just meant to be two different people, and that is totally okay. One thing is for sure, you will have no shortage of amazing people to surround yourself with. On average, we meet 80,000 people in our lifetime. At least one of them is sure to be someone you’ll wanna stick with forever!
Maybe they weren't your BFFL, or your twin flame, or the Monica to your Rachel. But there’s no doubt that you’ll find that person someday, and for now, taking some time to focus on you is the best possible decision you can make.
Like I said, it’s no secret that growing up is really, really hard. You are doing the best you can, and that is 100% enough.
It gets better, and that is a promise 💕
