How To Deal With Changing Friend Groups
Changing friend groups is something that happens naturally, and usually happens around second year.
In my opinion, this is because often friends are made out of convenience in first year. Often people are quite shy in first year and just became friends with the easiest people to talk to. Maybe it’s because you were sat next to them in maths or because they knew one of your friends from primary school, but quite often these friends aren’t the people you have the most in common with.
In second year everyone really begins to come out of their shells and become much more comfortable around each other. This can lead to having conversations with people you hadn’t even noticed in first year and becoming friends with them. It can also cause friend groups to divide and split.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with friend groups changing, it’s just a part of life. That being said it can be difficult if you’re stuck in the middle of a divide, or you’re anxious about things changing. Trust me, I 100% get it because we’ve all experienced it before.
How To Deal With Changing Friend Groups
The first thing you need to remember is that you should never worry about friend groups changing because it’s super normal. I’m only friends with a few people I’ve known since first year, but I’ve made some amazing friends since then. Everything happens for a reason and you should never worry that you’ll be left alone.
As cheesy as it sounds, the universe knows what it’s doing and any issues that come up, come up for a reason. While it’s great to have your core friend group you should always put yourself out there and talk to others because they could be a great addition to your friend group, you never know.
Friendship breakups are *the* worst!
There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the middle of a friendship breakup. When two or more of friends decide to go their own way it can be super stressful to deal with. However, you shouldn’t pick sides or let them turn you against the other person, and it’s important to make your own decision on the situation. Hopefully, you won’t have to choose and you can still be friends with all the involved people and usually, it will sort itself out. It’s totally possible to be friends with two separate groups!
Maybe you might be the one who needs to change your friends. It’s important to remember that you get to decide who you’re friends with. Your friends should make you happy and let you be 100% yourself, and you should never feel bad for not wanting to be friends with someone who puts you down or makes you feel bad about yourself.
It can be hard to try and distance yourself from them (especially if they’re in your group) but it’s the healthiest thing for you in the long run I promise. You should tell your friends how you are feeling and try and work on the things that are making you uncomfortable.
Be honest with yourself and your friends
The most important thing to remember when changes are happening within friend groups is to be open and honest. You definitely shouldn’t talk about people behind their back because this will only cause more issues and fights. If you’re open with people about how you feel about the changes, or why you feel you need a change, things will go smoother and in the end, everyone will be happier.