For the sake of this article, I will be giving you my personal advice on the topic based on experiences I had in the past. Disclaimer: these are my opinions from past experiences, so they may not align with your exact situation or problem, but I hope that you will use this advice as a guide to help you in your toxic situation. 

• Assess the situation

One of the biggest things that I would do first before cutting toxic people out of your life is to assess the situation with that individual. Ask yourself: what did this person do? How has this person been treating you overall? These are important questions to ask yourself before you make the big decision to remove them from your life. If this person did something terrible to you and is not treating you right, then the best thing to do is to just leave them. Having these individuals around you will only draw negativity into your life. Between the stress of college and managing your independent life,  You do not need that toxic energy in your life.

• Respect always matters

You might be mad or annoyed at this person. Either way, respect always matters. First, you always want to make sure you are in a clear headspace before communicating with them. Things will not be solved if you are seeing red when thinking about them. Second, voice your thoughts before you cut off the connection. Do not just ghost or ignore the individual. Be communicative and tell them why you are doing so. Therefore, they have a general idea of why there shouldn’t be any more communication between you and them. Doing so, you guys are both walking away with a general idea as to why this is the best decision, and no one is left in the dark. 

• You are allowed to grieve a friendship 

You are allowed to grieve a friendship that once was. People will tell you that it’s over and that it’s nothing to be sad about, but they are wrong. You aren’t necessarily upset that you cut ties with this person, but because all the memories you had together are now lost. That is something to be upset about. Friendships are curated by people that we can trust and feel comfortable around. However, some friendships will not last forever, and that is a matter of grieving and acceptance. There are people that you are meant to spend forever with and then people you spend a short amount of time with. At the end of the day, it’s the positive and respectful friendships that you want to keep close with you. 

• Take your time

Finding new friendships in a very busy and connected world can be very difficult. That is why it is important to give yourself time before forming new friendships with others; especially if you are struggling with trust. There are so many good people in your life that love and support you, therefore focusing more on those positive relationships is a good way to cope. Either way, give yourself some time to build up trust again, and you’ll be on your way to forming new and lasting friendships with others around you. 

I hope these tips were helpful when cutting toxic people out of your life. Once again, everyone’s situation is different, but understanding these four things might just help you conquer this difficult situation. With that, I hope everyone has a good week. Stay safe Captains!