Have you ever found yourself gravitating towards your friend's traits? It has been proven statistically that the traits your friends have will become your traits within 5 years.

It's fine if your friends are caring, compassionate, successful, healthy and positive, you would never want to part from them, but what if your friends are negative, passive, irritable, or leave you feeling completely drained, then what?

Ultimate decisions on friendships

It’s never easy making the ultimate decision on any friendship. There is always an element of guilt on our part, when we think about walking away. I have personally been in that situation and although I have seriously considered walking away, I have always tried on some level to work or talk things out.

Talking things out and criticism

Talking things out isn’t easy either. People may always see your talk as a form of criticism. I see it as constructive; if it’s something that I can do to make my life more positive. If there was still no change, introducing new friends into your social circle would always be another option.

In effect that would mean cutting down on the amount of time you spend with your negative friends, so that you spend more time with your positive friends. In the long term, you’ll notice how much of a difference it makes.

It will also mean you’ll learn how to deal with negative friends better, because you’re around positive people more.

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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