Pros & Cons Of Staying Friends After You Break Up

Is it better to remain friends after you break up or to go your separate ways? It’s hard to say which is best for each couple, but here are the pros and cons to consider:

Pros

·        You’ll have something to show for your time together. After all the time and energy you spent on your relationship when you were together, it’s nice to have a great friendship to show for it after you break up. You’ve already put the time and effort in so it’s great to continue to enjoy the benefits even if you aren’t together as a couple.

·        You know each other really well. After being a couple you know each other inside and out so it’s an easy transition into being friends. Because you know them so well you’ll be able to a great friend to them and visa versa.

·        You’re compatible. If you were together as a couple you’re bound to have some things in common that you can carry over and enjoy as friends. It’s great to be able to keep spending time together doing what you enjoy even if you’re not dating anymore.

·        There’s less pressure and more fun. You don’t have to worry about living up to each other’s expectations like you do when you’re together in a relationship. As friends you still get to spend time together but you can just have fun and forget about the pressures of being a couple.

Cons

·        You’re not used to hanging out as friends. It can be hard to spend time together as friends when you’re used to being in a romantic relationship. You might have to remind yourself not to reach out to hold hands or to do other things that you might have done when you were a couple.

·        Having to talk about new relationships. Friends typically talk to each other about who they are dating, so if you’re friends with your ex you might have to listen to them talk about their new boyfriend/girlfriend. This can be really hard, even if you think you’re over them.

·        They’ve seen your vulnerable side. We let our romantic partners see more personal sides of us than we do with our friends. It can be difficult to go from that close and personal relationship to one that is more casual after you’ve already been together.

·        It can be hard to forgive. If you want to be friends you’ll have to get over whatever problems you had as a couple and put them aside. If you’re not prepared to do this you might have a tough time being friends after you break up.