Try one of these examples: “I’m not really in the mood to hang out today. ” “Thanks for the invitation, but I’m not feeling very well today. ” Also, quit confiding in them. Continuing the intimacy of friendship will only make it harder to end the relationship in the long run. It’s okay to restructure or downgrade a friendship if you both have different values. [2] X Expert Source Nancy Lin, PhDLicensed Clinical Psychologist Expert Interview. 27 May 2021.
Some good examples of excuses could be that you have to babysit, that your parents are monitoring you, or you could even sign up for school activities and say they are taking up too much of your time. Try one of these examples: “I appreciate the offer, but I have a lot of homework tonight. ” “I can’t hang out today because my parents are making me do my chores at home. ”
Some ways you could help them are by telling them honestly how their behavior makes you feel. [5] X Expert Source Nancy Lin, PhDLicensed Clinical Psychologist Expert Interview. 27 May 2021. You could also talk to a counselor or their parents with them, offering to help them with something stressful in their life that might be causing them to act out (like homework, trouble at home, etc. ), or helping them find positive outlets in their life (like sports, church, and other hobbies or school activities). You could say something like, “It bothers me when you make me feel like I’m not a good friend,” “I don’t like feeling pressured to do things I don’t want to do. I wish you wouldn’t do that,” and “I’ll be happy to help you figure out a way to deal with that situation. " You might also say, “It really hurt me when you shared the stuff that I told you in confidence. “[6] X Expert Source Nancy Lin, PhDLicensed Clinical Psychologist Expert Interview. 27 May 2021.
Try one of these examples: “I don’t think being friends with you is good for me right now. I think I need to take a break. ” “I feel like I need to focus on other things right now. I can’t hang out with you anymore. ”
Some qualities you might consider are kindness, honesty, loyalty, intelligence, or creativity. Think of ways to tell if people possess these qualities. For example, someone who makes good grades in school is probably intelligent. Someone who volunteers at a nursing home is probably kind. Someone who is very active in art class is probably creative.
Be grateful for what you have in life and what others do for you. Everyone likes feeling appreciated. Tell others that you are thankful for them. [10] X Research source
Before making a decision, think about your choices, possible outcomes for each, consider the pros and cons, and enlist the advice of people you trust. [11] X Research source
Also, this will be a good marker for the parents of your prospective friends. Sometimes parents can be suspicious of new friends. But if you are successful in school, most parents will have more confidence in you from the beginning.
Some examples of things that you might need to get help for before you can attract the right kind of friends is drug or alcohol addiction, various psychological problems (like depression), or anger management issues. These are aspects of your own life that you will need to work toward fixing in order to attract the kinds of friends you want. If you are feeling severely depressed or suicidal, reach out for help immediately. Talk to your doctor or call/text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988). [13] X Research source
