How to end a relationship and remain friends

There is a high percentage of couples that end their relationships, and the heartbreak is so severe that they may never speak to each other again.

That can be a very hurtful process and the grief is almost like mourning a death. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Relationships sometimes end due to hurtful and deceitful actions from one or both people. Even so, there are ways to end a relationship and remain friends.

1. Have the “heart-to-heart” talk. There is no better way to communicate than old-fashioned conversations, face-to-face. Nowadays, people depend on social media and technology to chat or have conversations. Even relationships are cyber. There must be a personal, face-to-face conversation where both involved feel safe speaking their mind. The future is what needs to be discussed, as well as the current situation. Remember that before anything, there is a strong bond that can result in a nice friendship afterward.

2. Maturity in letting go of the past must be achieved. Hard times await if you do not let go of what happened and freak out if you see your ex-partner with another person. Learn to be okay with the past, and the present and be optimistic about your own future (without the ex).

3. Do not listen to what others say about you or your new “friendship” with your ex. Everyone will try to tell you how to cope or what to do based on their own personal experience. It is only up to you and your ex. You two are the only ones that can figure out if and why you can still be friends after a breakup.

4. Give the breakup time to become a reality. If there is a lot of conversation and phone calls, it makes it harder to take in and accept that the relationship is over, and you must make room for a change in it.

5. Be aware that even though you both want to remain friends, sometimes it only prolongs the pain, and makes the healing of the heart take longer. If you cannot remain friends, that is okay too.