Friendships

In my work as a dance teacher, I often find myself counseling and guiding my dancers through various challenges they face, especially when it comes to friendships. Friendships are an integral part of our lives, providing support, joy, and companionship, but it can be incredibly painful when those friendships go wrong. Watching my students struggle with the emotional turmoil of a friendship that has gone bad is difficult, but I know it is an unavoidable part of life.

When someone you trust and care for like a friend hurts you the pain can feel overwhelming but there are practical ways to navigate through these difficult emotions and move forward. First, it’s essential to allow yourself to feel the hurt. Pretending the pain doesn’t exist can prolong the healing process. Instead we should recognize our feelings of sadness, anger, or disappointment, and not be afraid to express them in a healthy way like journaling, talking to a trusted person, or engaging in creative outlets like dance.

It can also be important and helpful to communicate with your friend if possible. Misunderstandings can often lead to hurt feelings, so having an open and honest conversation can help clear the air. As one may share their own feelings, they must also give an opportunity to explain their actions and share their perspective.

If it becomes clear that the friendship is no longer healthy, it may be time to evaluate whether the friendship is worth continuing. This can be one of the hardest steps, but recognizing patterns of behavior that cause repeated pain or distress is crucial for our well-being. If one decides to distance themselves from a friendship, know that that is okay. Ending a friendship doesn’t mean you’ve failed, but is sometimes the healthiest choice. Instead, focus on healing and self-care spending time doing activities that bring joy and peace.

The last piece of advice I offer is to be grateful for the relationship when it did serve you well along with other positive relationships in your life. It can be easy to dwell on the hurt but if we shift our focus to those who continue to love and support us it helps us heal. As difficult as it may be, rough patches and situations with friends teach us about boundaries, how to communicate, self-respect, and the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who genuinely care for us. Through this process, we can emerge stronger and more confident in ourselves and our relationships.