How to Feel Better About Moving Away From Your Best Friend
JOSHUA DUVAUCHELLE
LIFE
Moving is never easy, especially when you're moving away from close friends. Long after the dust has settled and the moving boxes have been stowed, you'll still feel the pang of missing your best friend. But just because distance is pulling you two apart doesn't necessarily mean the end of the relationship you and your friend forged.
1 Deposit Memories Into the Memory Bank
As you pack and get ready to move, set some time aside with your best friend. Together, exercise your creative energy and make a scrapbook, write a journal entry or build a similar project that catalogs some of your favorite memories together. If you've already moved away, you can do this on your own and make a copy to mail to your friend. This gives you both something to fondly flip through whenever you're missing each other, and can cheer you up when you're feeling sad.
2 Schedule a Date
When you're separated by distance, it's important to schedule times where you and your best friend can reconnect. For example, you could make a plan to call each other every Saturday morning. These friendship dates establish a ritual that can help keep your friendship strong.
3 Reach Out in New Ways
When you're away from your best friend, being kept up to date on each other's activities can help you to feel included in your friend's life just like you used to be. Don't just rely on letters, emails and phone calls. Find new ways to stay connected, such as through texting or social media.
4 Fake a Hangout
All good friendships are based around shared experiences. If you want to keep your friendship going, you don't have to give up hanging out. Find creative ways to still do things together. For example, you could watch your favorite TV show together while on the phone, or video chat from a coffee shop and have coffee together.
5 Make New Friends
As important as it may be to honor the past and maintain contact with old friends, don't let that limit you from making friends in your new city. Join a group or club of people who share similar interests. For example, if you like nature, join a hiking club. This can cheer you up when you're feeling lonely, and it doesn't mean you're being disloyal to your old friends.
6 Talk to Someone
If you're still feeling sad and nothing seems to cheer you up, you may be experiencing depression or anxiety related to your move. This is normal when life changes dramatically. You don't have to go through this alone. Talk to a trusted adult, such as your parents or a counselor at school, and share how you're feeling.
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