LIFE

Tone Down the Chitchat

Don’t just stop talking to your besties all of a sudden or completely ignore all of their calls and texts. But it is a good idea to communicate a li’l less each day, so you can slip off their radar. Instead of running to your old pals the next time you need advice or wanna chat about your day, text a new friend that you’d like to get closer with. If your old friends call or text you, it’s totally okay to respond, of course. Just don’t go out of your way to keep up a convo with them 24/7.

Get Busy

When you realize that your friends aren’t a good influence, it’s time to stop hangin’ with them. If they call and invite you to go somewhere, tell them you’re busy. Or you can always say that your mom won’t let you go – she probably won’t mind playing the bad guy, if it means you can focus on making healthier friendships. After a while, your old pals will notice that you’re not making an effort to spend time with them, and they’ll most likely stop inviting you.

Stay Sweet

The most important thing when you’re trying to break free from friends is that you’re still polite to them. The last thing you want is a huge fight that ends in glares following you through the hallways at school. So talk to your old pals if they approach you, and go hang with them once in a long while if they still really want you to. And definitely do NOT talk badly about them behind their backs. No matter what it was that made you decide they weren’t the right crew for you, that is between you and them. Don’t involve your new friends in any old drama, and do your best to just start fresh. Hopefully your old pals will take the hint that you’re not super-thrilled to hang with them anymore, and they’ll let you go quietly on your way.

by Carrie Ruppert | 2/1/2016