Even though toxic friendships do not start as such, at one point or another, a friendship can turn bad over time, and when it’s all behind you, can even feel like a breakup.
And while this is certainly true, surprisingly, there are some benefits of toxic friendships you should be aware of moving forward.
1. You learn to not trust people immediately
Often, when friendships start falling apart, the main cause is the loss of mutual trust. After going through such a disappointing experience, you might want to pull the breaks on trusting other people altogether.
But you mustn’t go that far. Let this be a wake-up call that you need to choose carefully who you trust next time.
After ending a toxic friendship, don’t forget that trust is a gift that friends and romantic partners need to earn.
Do not start thinking that you’re having trust issues because of this experience. Rather, understand that this was just one bad trip and you learned a helpful lesson for the future. Namely that not everyone deserves your trust.
2. You can now devote some much-needed attention and energy to yourself
When you get out of a toxic friendship, you come to understand that you have just broken the chains of never-ending worry and stress. Use this opportunity wisely to devote some time to your physical and mental well-being.
It could be anything from learning a new skill, having a great time doing your favorite hobby, to exercising and mountain climbing. Whatever it is, it is time to work on yourself.
3. You can now smell toxicity from afar
After going through all this pain, you can now easily spot the red flags that come attached to a toxic person.
This can only work to your benefit because knowing what to look out for allows you to set healthy boundaries for yourself and other people.
If a person you just met has similar characteristics to someone toxic you once knew, make note of it and stay alert so you can protect yourself if necessary.
Turn the painful memories into a learning experience in which you begin identifying the toxic behaviors and habits of other people.
4. You learn how to say NO
The next thing you will learn after recovering from a toxic friendship is how to stand your own ground and defend your boundaries.
And of course, boundaries could mean different things to different people.
They could include: being mindful of another person’s space, not judging other people for the choices they make, or respecting differing opinions.
Some friends have no problems with spending a lot of time together, and this is also true when it comes to relationships. But there are some people who need to have their personal space respected in order to be able to recharge their batteries.
Setting healthy boundaries shows that you truly know yourself and what you require to keep your mental health stable in a friendship or relationship.
We hope that this article was helpful to you. Let us know your thoughts on the topic by joining the conversation in the comments and please share if you’ve enjoyed the read.
