How to Cut People Out Of Your Life

There comes a time in everyone’s life where they just get fed up with the crappy people that seem to stick around. They want to take some time to themselves and just cut out the people that are bringing them down.

I’m no stranger to this phenomenon. Actually, I think you could call me a pro at cutting people out of my life. The thing is, I just don’t have the patience or tolerance to allow negative people to influence my life in any way. So I get rid of them.

And so should you. There are a large number of benefits to kicking those negative people to the curb and it’s about time you did so. Here are the different types you should be cutting out of your life and exactly how it should be done.

 

The Types of People to Cut Out

You may be surprised to know that you probably have a lot of people in your life that NEED to go. Here’s how you can uncover who deserves to stay and who you should cut out.

1. The Negative Nelly

A negative person in your life causes damage in SO many ways. They can actually mold your perception to be one that is dominantly negative where your true personality is to be positive. Negative people should never remain in your life for any reason.

2. The Insulting Instigator

Some of us have “friends” that we keep around purely because we like how “real” they are. We use the excuse that we like having someone around who says it like it is. The truth is that these people are often insulting individuals that only put you down. You don’t need someone in your life that makes you feel insecure about yourself – not matter how “real” they seem to be.

3. The Manipulative Manic

This one is the hardest to spot simply because they are manipulative. These people mold your views and perceptions to whatever they want. If you often find yourself doing something that you normally wouldn’t do but you’re not sure why you’re doing it, it’s usually because you have one of these as a friend.

4. The Fake Friend

Fake friends are running amuck in your life and you probably don’t even realize it…until now. When you start hearing rumors fly and even hear from your other real friends that someone is talking crap about you behind your back but is pretending to be your best friend in person, they’re a fake friend that HAS to go.

5. The Unsupportive Ursula

There really is no room in your life for someone who is not supportive. Why would you want to keep someone around who never thinks you’re capable of doing what you really want? I know I wouldn’t. Get rid of your unsupportive “friends”.

 

How to Cut Them Out – For Good

You might think it’s easy to just say goodbye to someone in your life for good, but it can take some time and effort. Here are some of the best tips on how to cut people out of your life and keep them out for good.

1. Talk to them.

You can’t just get rid of someone abruptly without explaining to them first why. The best way to do this is to get some alone time with them and just calmly explain that you really don’t like the affect they’re having on your life. Tell them that sometimes you have to let people in your life go and they’re one of those people.

2. Don’t falter in your decision.

You have to have certainty that you’re going to get rid of these people for good. You can’t tell them you don’t want them around one minute and then turn to them the next day saying you’re sorry and repeating the cycle. Don’t falter in your decision to better your life.

3. Unfriend and unfollow.

Cutting them out of your life means getting rid of them in EVERY sense of the word. That means you can’t be their friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the whole 9 yards. They can still negatively impact your life even if you’re just seeing their updates.

4. Ignore their attempts to reach out.

And they’re going to reach out. They may try apologizing, asking what they did wrong, etc. The key here is to just ignore it. You’ve explained your side of the situation and there’s really nothing more that needs to be done in these regards.

There may even be situations where someone is so persistent that you may have to change your contact information altogether. While this may be inconvenient, it will benefit you in a lot of ways overall.

5. Get some support from friends and family.

Cutting someone out of your life is hard and takes a toll on you. You may feel guilty and even wrong for doing it, but you’re not. Having a strong support system can help remind you that you’ve made the right decision and you’ll have the RIGHT people around that will impact your life positively.

6. Don’t talk trash about them.

It may be easy to sit with your other friends and bad mouth the person you decided to cut out of your life, but don’t. This not only makes you look bad, but they’ll eventually hear about it and that will cause a fight to start – something that will NOT have a positive influence on your life. Plus, you cut them out of your life – and that means no talking about them.

7. Remind yourself why you’re doing it.

It’s easy to get caught up in the emotions that the person you’re cutting out is projecting onto you and you may find that you want to keep them around. Just keep remembering why you’re getting rid of them. They cause negativity that you don’t need in your life.

8. Don’t engage with them.

Having been friends for a while and even maintaining the same friend group even after you decide to ditch them means that you’ll be seeing them from time to time. The important thing to remember when you’re cutting someone out of your life is that you can’t engage with them.

Cutting someone out means getting rid of them for good. And while you can shoot them a polite nod, acknowledging their presence, there’s not need to walk up to them and talk. There’s a reason you got rid of them.

9. Know that it takes time to adjust.

It takes some getting used to. You’re not used to not having this person in your life and there will be an adjustment period that takes place. During this time, it’s best to keep busy with good friends and supportive people.

10. Slowly fade out if the drastic approach is not your style.

You don’t have to cut them out cold turkey. If you want a different option that’s slower and somewhat easier, just slowly fade out of their life. Respond to their messages less and less and you’ll find that eventually you’ll drift apart altogether.

Cutting someone out of your life is a huge decision that leaves a lasting impact on both of your lives. Have you ever had to cut a toxic person out of your life? What happened?