You are unable to process this thought: “Am I falling in love with my best friend?” People often get confused between the terms love and friendship. Some people think it’s the same; however, it’s completely different for others.
According to experts, there is a thin line between love and friendship. There are a lot of similarities between them but also, at the same time, have a world of differences.
There are different types of friends and levels of friendship. Majorly we talk about acquaintances and best friends.
- Acquaintances are the types of friends with whom it’s great to hang out or maybe have a drink but not more than that.
- Best friends are the types of friends with whom we share emotional intimacy, and thus we can have great communication, spend time together and share our deepest secrets.
We often say that friendship is the start of love. But we keep love and friendship separate. We call someone our best friend while the other person our partner. If friendship is the start of love, then why do all friendships not turn into love relationships? Isn’t it quite confusing?
Human emotions are the most complicated and yet haven’t been unraveled. We all know who belongs to what category in our life. But sometimes we can’t control our emotions and fall in love with our best friend who doesn’t love us back.
This makes things worse, and sometimes friendship gets broken. I know you can’t control your emotions but at least save yourself from emotional trauma.
Here are the ways how you can deal with this situation:
Take time to heal
According to experts, this one-sided love is termed unrequited love, which is emotionally exhausting. It requires a lot of strength to deal with the overflowing emotions all alone. And it becomes even more torturing to be around that person. So it’s better to stay away and take some time alone to come out of that feeling. Also, don’t rush into things. Let it sink in for a while until you heal completely.
Put Yourself And Your Needs First
While you are on your journey of self-healing, put your emotions and needs first. Practice self-care, focus on your career goals, and try meditation and journaling to channel your thoughts.
Pursue Other Relationships When You’re Ready
One-sided love hurts, but time heals everything. But while you are healing, don’t try to pursue other relationships just to justify yourself. You are already going through a lot, and it’s not the right time to invest yourself emotionally in other relationships. However, you can make new friends if that makes you feel better.
Commit To Seeing Them As Just a Friend
I know it’s easier for me to say this, but you can still be friends with them. But this time, learn to make some boundaries and respect them. Don’t have many expectations from them, and let your friendship bloom.
Figure Out If Maintaining A Friendship Is Worth It
Falling in love with your best friend is not a crime. It’s natural because we humans often fall for people with whom we strongly connect. However, sometimes when things fall apart, it’s hard to visualize that person similarly to earlier. But on the other hand, you don’t want them to move out of your life even when they don’t feel the same for you. At this moment, be honest with yourself about whether maintaining that friendship will do good for your self-esteem or make it more miserable. If you can still enjoy their company without any hard feelings, go ahead with the friendship. But if you can’t, end it on a happy note.
Wrap up
Unrequited love is difficult and often leads to a lot of emotional turmoil, especially when it’s with a best friend. But the important thing to consider is, to be honest with your feelings and if it’s difficult to handle the emotions, let them move away from you. Anyways, you are more important.
