So, you’ve had a huge falling out with one of your best friends. No matter what it was over it can be heartbreaking to disagree with someone you love. Depending on the circumstances of the argument (we would never encourage you to continue a relationship with a toxic person) perhaps you want to still remain friends with that person. And perhaps they also still want to be friends with you but don’t want to make the first move.
Regardless how could you still remain friends with the person after such a huge argument?
We have some ideas on how to revamp a relationship with a friend you had a falling out with. It is unfortunate that you had an argument but that doesn’t mean that the friendship has to be over.
1. Just Reach Out
It can be hard to make the first move. But just reach out to this friend. The worst thing that will happen is that they don’t want to meet up with you. That might hurt, but if you want to have a chance to continue a friendship with them you’ll have to move out of your comfort zone.
You can call the friend, text or reach out on social media. If you want to make the gesture greater you could also send them a letter.
2. Ask To Meet In Person
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You can skip all of the texting and online communication about the fall out and just reach out asking to meet in person. This is a great way to reconnect and conversations can often go better when the responses are limited to words on a screen and you can see how the person is responding in real time.
You can ask them to go get coffee or pick a usual handout spot of yours.
3. Address The Tension
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When you meet up with your friend or talk to them on the phone, make sure to address the tension early on in the conversation. Ignoring the issue will just make things more awkward and you may even look like you don’t really care about what happened.
4. Own Up To Your Faults
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Make sure to own up to where you went wrong in the falling out. This is difficult but it makes you a bigger person. If your friend is unwilling to apologize for what they did wrong or tries to force you to apologize (as if apologizing is bartering) that gives you an answer for if you even want to continue the friendship.
5. Find New Things In Common
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Once the conversation about the argument is over, you can find a new way to bond your old friendship. For example, maybe before your argument you never talked about your careers. Perhaps now you can bring that aspect of your lives into the conversation.
6. Decide How You Want To Move Forward
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After the conversation with your friend decide how you want to move forward in the relationship –if you even want to move forward with it. Create some boundaries for yourself and make sure you stick with them.
7. Be Patient & Let It Go
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Be patient with how the friendship will evolve from now on. You cannot expect to be besties right away but there’s no reason to continue to cultivate a relationship if it is ruined from now on. There is nothing wrong with that either. Just let it go if it doesn’t look like things will work out.
Don’t feel pressured to continue a friendship that should not work out for the better. Check out this list for things to look out for in toxic friendships. Taking steps to renew a friendship after an argument can make the bond with your friend stronger than before. The confrontation can start changes in the both of you that are for the better.
