It’s understandable to ask if it’s feasible to be friends with your ex if your relationship ended on good terms. After all, this is usually someone you like and like spending time with, as well as someone with whom you have common experiences, opinions, values, and interests. Giving up all of that simply because you’ve decided a romantic connection between you and your partner isn’t going to work might feel like tossing the baby out with the bathwater.

So let’s discuss how to be friends with your ex and when it works and when it doesn’t.

1. Is it a good idea to be friends with your ex?

Yes, you may be friends with your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend. The scenario and the persons involved will determine whether or not it is a good idea. Some people may maintain good, pleasant relationships with their ex-partners without trouble or issues, while others find that attempting to remain friends, becomes excessively complex or even painful.

2. When you can stay friends with an ex:

-You’ve given yourself time to think about and accept the breakup of your love relationship.

-You’ve both come to terms with the fact that your relationship is truly gone (and understand why it happened).

-You and your ex both seem to have emotionally moved on from the relationship.

-You don’t want to be in a romantic relationship or have romantic feelings for each other.

3. When to cut ties:

-You’re secretly yearning for reconciliation.

-You’re having problems moving on because you still have romantic feelings for your ex.

-You have a feeling (or know) that your ex isn’t quite over you.

-You’re clinging on because you can’t picture ever dating or having such a close connection with anybody else.

-You’re clinging on because you’re afraid or hesitant to separate your life and start living alone.

4. Setting boundaries with your ex.

Whether you choose to stay friends or not, it’s critical to establish limits with your ex. Physical, emotional, temporal, and energy limits are examples of such boundaries. It’s up to each of you to figure out what kind of limits you’ll need to continue friends without things getting nasty, hurtful, or romantic again.

5. Make sure you’re actually over each other.

Making a relationship with an ex-work is all about making sure you’re both over one another. Keep an eye on how you feel when you’re with your ex—does it seem heated or tense? Is there a specific attraction or pull between you? When you read their name in your texts, do you get a rush of butterflies or a wave of sadness? Does the prospect of them dating someone fresh make you nervous? All of these things point to the possibility that sentiments are still present.

Source:mindbodygreen-com