Since we work with so many young adults, we sometimes hear about the struggles they have with letting go of old friendships. Clients often experience guilt, sadness, and second-guessing about letting some friendships go.
The reality is that at around 30 years old, it’s both healthy and normal to go through a pruning process of your friendships.
There are two main reasons for this.
The first is that many of us pair off into couples in our late 20s and early 30s. Because of that we tend to spend more time with our partner and other couples.
The other has to do with our personal evolution. What we valued in our adolescence can drastically change by our 20s and 30s. With age and maturity, we may also be able to see more clearly a toxic or one-sided relationship.
It's at this point in life that we tend to re-evaluate the strength of our friendships. In doing so, we get rid of or distance ourselves from friendships that no longer serve us to make room for others that do.