If you’ve recently broken up then there are high chances that you are wondering whether you can successfully transition your romantic relationship into a fruitful friendship and how to go about it. We understand that it is hard to completely cut off contact with your ex and move on. If you believe there are no residual feelings and you still want your ex in your life, just in a different capacity, then we’ve got your back. Here’s a guide on how you can maintain a genuine friendship with your ex.

How to be friends with your ex without it getting weird

1) Don’t rush in

If you haven’t got closure or have a ton of answered questions about how your relationship ended or even if not, it is better to take time to process your breakup. It cannot be the case that as soon as you end a romantic relationship you’ll go to have a solid friendship. So take ample time to properly understand your feelings before initiating a platonic relationship with your ex to avoid unresolved issues.

2) Set boundaries

Following your much-needed time away, once you do decide that you want your ex in your life or you value their friendship, the first plan of action is to set clear boundaries. Whether you don’t want to discuss each other’s love lives or you don’t want to hang out just the two of us, identify what makes you uncomfortable and have an honest conversation about your feelings.

3) Don’t flirt and treat them like your other friends

You might think that flirting with your ex is harmless and doesn’t really mean anything but there are high chances that is not the case with your ex, especially if you were the one who broke things off. So, to avoid any residual feelings to harm your budding friendship it is better that you do not flirt with your ex and treat them just like you would any other platonic friend.

4) Don’t fall into old patterns

When you are in a relationship your partner is often your first priority or may be spending a good chunk of your time either with them or talking to them but that should not be the case when you give friendship a try! It is important to understand that even though you both are the same people your relationship now is vastly different. So give each other the time and space to be away from each other and let other people into your lives.

5) Adjust your expectations and be real about it

Understand that you both will move forward in your life, probably with different significant others going forward so you need to alter your expectations from your ex. While earlier you both used to confide everything in each other that is going to change now. It is important that you understand your ex’s new role in your life and adapt to it.

While transitioning from a romantic relationship to a platonic one with your ex is challenging but its not impossible. By being honest with your intentions and setting clear boundaries you can easily move forward in your life and form a healthy friendship while prioritizing your emotional well-being.

Last updated on September 13th, 2024 at 09:39 pm