Yes, you can. But this relationship dynamic is much more complex than you may imagine. Many people wonder if it is okay to stay in contact with your ex. Can their broken relationship turn into friendship? After all, suddenly cutting all the contacts and being a stranger doesn’t feel right either. Moreover, it is also difficult to let go of all the emotional contact and bond you have had with your partner. Well, today our topic of discussion is ” Can I be best friends with my ex?”
If we look deeply into it, we can understand that we once liked to spend time with this person that’s why we were in a relationship. We also know all the habits, interests, good, and bad things in them. So considering ex as our best friend can be more advantageous than we think. Today we will discuss whether we can be friends with our ex and why not.
Can I Be Best Friends With My Ex?
It’s not as hard as it seems but also not as easy as you may think. Keeping your ex as your best friend requires a lot of strength. One must be able to draw fine lines and set boundaries. Also, this should be two-way. If the other person blurs your perception of a relationship, things will go darker than before.
Anyway, this is why you want to stay friends with your ex.
The Friendship Part
If you are no longer romantically inclined toward your partner and you miss the friendship part. It is good to be friends with your ex. As of now, you both are emotionally free from the romantic side. Also, you are the only person for each other who knows every aspect of them. So, if you start a friendship you will not have to reserve yourself and show any conventional ethics.
You both can enjoy each other fully like with no one else. The most important part is now you don’t have to hide anything from each other and you can enjoy the friendship more than before.
Not Ready to End Things
Because of the familiarity and emotional connection you formed over time, it is possible that staying friends with an ex might occasionally serve as a sense of security. You might be looking for any path to hold on to the emotional security that was in your relationship because it can be difficult to let go of it. Being friends with your ex can be a good idea only when other aspects of the relationship are valuable to your growth, development, or life goals.
Things Forgiven
Naturally, it takes time to forget things, move on, and forgive each other. Even emotionally strong people take time to find forgiveness and let go of resentment. If that time has passed and you both have realized your faults, then it is right to be friends with your ex.
Also, it is the best way to bury all the bad memories and make a new one. You should let go of your resentment and start a new life with a new hope. There are many possibilities that in the shape of a friend your ex might bring for you.
Romance is Over
You can be friends with your ex if the charm of romance that you guys had, vanished like a beautiful sunset and there is not a good chance of that coming back again. Even while you remember the past in which you guys had that connection and affection, you don’t hold on to it. The window that was replaying old memories in your mind is not playing them anymore. In short, there isn’t any yearning for more.
Maintaining contact in the hopes of reigniting things and giving your relationship a new meaning of friendship may feel reassuring. Not to mention that it essentially keeps other potential lovers away from you. Try not to feel guilty if some feelings are left for your ex even after your relationship has ended. Sometimes it seems as though those feelings will never go away, but taking some time and giving space to yourself is the best cure, not rushing into a platonic bond.
Colleagues or Common Friends
If you both are colleagues, then staying friends with each other will benefit you both equally. The first thing is if you end your relationship chaotically and after that, you face each other, you will not be able to work properly.
Secondly, if you are colleagues then many chances are there that you have to collaborate or cooperate on different matters at your workplace that will lead to awkward situations. Contrary to that, if you stay friends with your ex, then it will be easy for both of you to concentrate and avoid any awkward situations.
If you guys have a common friend circle, then it is better to stay friends with your ex. As you will have to meet occasionally at clubs, parties or movie nights. If you don’t choose to be friends with your ex, then your entertainment nights may get spoiled.
Moreover, if you avoid each other, then there is also a chance that your friend’s circle gets divided and you might lose some of your friends. So, it is better to end your relationship on nice terms and stay friends with each other.
Why I Cannot Stay Best Friends With My Ex?
Now we will see the other side of the picture. We will look at some reasons why you should not consider being friends with your ex.
- The friendship with your ex is not suitable when you’re hoping in your heart that you two will reconcile.
- You’re having a hard time moving on since you still have romantic sentiments for your ex.
- You have a gut feeling in your heart that your ex is also not quite over their feelings and that’s why you want to stay on because you can’t picture dating or connecting with anyone else the same way ever again.
- Moreover, you’re hanging on because you’re afraid or reluctant to start living alone and detach your lives from one another. Especially, after so much connection you guys previously had.
- The other reason you want to stay with your ex is that you feel bad about terminating the relationship or you may feel that you owe them anything.
- Your ex is taking up time, energy, or mental space, which makes it difficult for you to date new people or participate in other aspects of your life.
These are all the possible reasons that are not good signs for you to be friends with your ex.
So in short, you can stay friends with your ex, but you need to be clear about what you want. Clinging unnecessarily to the past will keep the hurt alive. Also, it may stop you from moving on gracefully with life. Some dead need to stay dead, to keep the life going on.
