How to salvage friendships after feelings are hurt
Sometimes in friendships we say or do things that hurt our friends' feelings. Disagreements, arguments, petty conversations, gossip, jealousy, and a number of other problems can cause a rift in a friendship. Without taking steps to repair it, that rift can lead to ruined friendships. Salvaging friendships after hurt feelings is not always an easy process, but can be done using the following five tips.
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1. Talk. Getting things off your chest help them not to fester as long. If you do not have the chance to work through it, it acts like a wound that has not been cleaned. It will start to fester and get putrid. One of the best ways to get your friendship back to the good is to let each other know how you feel, and why something hurt your feelings, so that it can be worked through.
2. Set aside differences. When you have a tiff in a relationship, and someone's feelings are hurt, it is great to talk it out as discussed in point one, but then once you have gotten the issues off your chest, it is time to set aside the differences. You think one way, they think another, and that is okay. Without those differences friendships would be stale and boring. However, we have to be careful that in those differences we do not place judgment and say that our way is better than your way, only that our way is better for us.
3. Rebuild trust. When someone's feelings are hurt, this is usually a result of some sort of breach of trust. It might be that you trusted him or her to not do something that hurts you, or trusting them not to judge you, etc. So, if you want to salvage the friendship, it is time to take the steps to rebuild that trust. If you need to, talk about what would help you trust them again. Then be sure that you do not mess up again while working to rebuild that trust.
4. Spend time together. If you want to salvage a damaged friendship, the best step to take is get together and spend time with one another. You can't salvage the friendship by ignoring each other, or by spending time away. Remind yourself what it is that you liked about your friendship before feelings were hurt, and take time together to rebuild that and remind yourself of it.
5. Be open. If you want to salvage a friendship after feelings are hurt, you have to be open with one another about what you need, what you require to get past it. Be open with your feelings, and be able to overcome them through that openness.
If you can learn to work your way through hurt feelings, not just sweep them under the rug, or ignore the problem, your relationships will be stronger as a result.
