This 7-Day Detox Will Spring Clean All the Relationships In Your Life | Shape Magazine – Shape Magazine

Talk It Through: If you’re going for the talk-it-through route, how you do so is important. Sussman gives tips on having a confrontational conversation that won’t lead to an argument. First, give it 24 hours. Sleep on your thoughts before bringing them up in conversation. Second, practice. Sort out your thoughts beforehand so it’s more curated and less “word vomit.” Third, when having the conversation, use “I” statements (“I think” or “I feel”) and never accuse (“You did”). (Check here for more tips on how to have productive conversations.)

Or Let It Go: If you’ve decided any of these relationships are just not worth it and are toxic for your health, you have to take action—but do you do the ~slow fade~ and let them slip out of your life, or tell them upfront why you’re letting go?

“If you’ve tried to talk with them before and it’s fallen on deaf ears, if you think it’s more trouble than it’s worth, or if you think, ‘they don’t care about me enough to have this conversation,’ then it’s best to just let it fade away,” says Sussman.

But there is a case for having “the talk,” even when you think it might be hopeless. “It’s always a good experience to face our fears, and everyone is afraid of that kind of conversation,” says Sussman. “Sometimes you could be ready to write someone off, but if you sit down to tell them why you’re distancing yourself, something really profound could happen. It could be a very moving experience. If it doesn’t go well, it’s more evidence that it’s best to detox them from your life.”