Some friendships may look like an invisible weight that we drag without realizing it. And sometimes it takes a while to detach from it.
But when the click arrives, it often takes the form of small gestures, clearer emotions, or simply relief. Psychologist Siyana Milnéva has identified several signals, showing that power is resumed on her social life.
“The click comes when you have an awareness of your personal values and its operating mode“Note the psychologist.”This first step will allow us to make a decision and close a toxic friendship“.
Knowing yourself is therefore the key to decoding toxic behaviors, taking a step back and clarifying what you prefer and what we no longer want. What are the other signs?
Guilt disappears
The first sign is clear: you no longer feel guilty in the face of the remarks of a “toxic friend”. We realize that we have tolerated inappropriate attitudes too much, that we did not feel well in his presence, and that our body already sent us alert signals. Siyanа Milnéva insists: it is while listening to that we learn to respect ourselves.
We stop looking for validation
No longer waiting for the other to validate our choices is another essential step. This proves that we have understood that the only validation that counts is ours. “”It is this return to yourself that makes distance from a harmful friendship possible“Add our expert.
We keep his successes for ourselves
Sharing good news with a real friend is the assurance of receiving a sincere smile. With a toxic friend, it’s the opposite. Feeling jealousy or denigration instead of support is often the moment when we naturally cease to entrust our victories to him.
The relief takes over
Feeling a appeasement by reducing contacts or cutting bridges is an unquestioned indicator. “”Mental fatigue evaporates and we realize that the presence of this ‘friend’ directly harmed our well-being “ confirms the psychologist.
We freed ourselves from the judgment
To stop judging yourself through the eyes of the other is to get out of insidious dependence. We cease to give an excessive place to toxic opinion and we find a new clarity in his feelings.
We learn to really listen
Finally, the last sign may be the strongest: listening to oneself. “”This return inside promotes self-esteem and respect for its own limits. It is here that toxic friendship fades definitively, giving way to a healthier relationship with oneself“Concludes Siyana Milnéva.