Over time, life gently — and sometimes painfully — reshapes our relationships.

We grow. We move. We change. And somewhere along the way, the people we once called our closest friends begin to feel like quiet echoes from another life.

When I left my home country, I thought I’d keep in touch with all my friends. I really believed it. In the beginning, I messaged often. I remembered birthdays. I liked posts. I told myself nothing would change. But time has its own silent language. The messages got fewer. The conversations became awkward. And slowly, without bitterness or drama — just life — I drifted away from people who once knew everything about me.

In Bulgaria, we have a saying: “The eyes you don’t see, you forget about them.” I used to think it sounded cold. Now I think it sounds real. When the everyday connection fades, so does the emotional thread. And that’s not always something to fight.

There’s this unspoken pressure to hold on to every relationship we’ve ever had — like letting go means we’ve failed. But the truth is, not everyone is meant to walk beside us forever. Some people were only meant to stay for a chapter. Others only a page. And some were just a sentence that made us smile once.

We live in a world that tells us constantly who to follow — who to admire, who to keep close, who to be loyal to. But no one teaches us how to unfollow. Especially not in real life.

We unfollow people on social media so easily. A click. A quiet goodbye. No announcement, no argument. We just feel that the content no longer speaks to us — and we move on. Why should it be any different in our real lives?

Sometimes we keep people in our lives out of guilt. Out of habit. Out of the fear of looking selfish. But there’s a cost to that. When we surround ourselves with people who drain us, who no longer understand us, or who simply don’t make the effort — we lose space for the ones who would.

And I don’t mean cutting people off in anger. I don’t mean ghosting or burning bridges. I’m talking about a quiet shift of the heart. A gentle recognition that a connection has faded — and that it’s OK to let it go.

Unfollowing someone in real life might look like not texting first anymore. Not forcing the catch-up coffee that neither of you really want. Not feeling guilty for not including them in every milestone. It doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be honest.

There’s a deep emotional toll in carrying the weight of dead relationships. It fills your life with noise — unanswered messages, forced small talk, the feeling that you owe something just because it once meant something. But life isn’t meant to be a museum of past connections. It’s meant to be lived with people who reflect who you are now, not just who you used to be.

Outgrowing someone isn’t betrayal. It’s evolution.

Letting go doesn’t mean you never loved them. It means you love yourself enough to protect your peace.

We don’t owe permanent access to everyone from our past. And we’re allowed to change — to update the guest list of our hearts as we grow.

Of course, some friendships are worth fighting for. Some bonds survive distance and silence and everything in between. You’ll know them. They’ll feel like home no matter where life takes you. But if the only thing keeping a relationship alive is the fear of letting go — then it’s already gone.

It’s OK to unfollow people in real life too.

You’re not cold. You’re not rude. You’re not wrong.

You’re just making space for the ones who are still meant to be there.

GK

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Published by georgi.kisyov

63 thoughts on “It’s OK to Unfollow People in Real Life Too”

  6. “Some people were only meant to stay for a chapter… others just a sentence that made us smile once.”
    That line says it all.

    Letting go isn’t cold — it’s clarity.
    We’re allowed to outgrow people. We’re allowed to choose peace.
    Thank you for this gentle reminder.

    #LettingGo #Growth #EmotionalClarity #BrokenButBecoming

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  7. I have a hard time letting people go. I’ll keep on trying to continue the relationship if I’ve put a lot of time into it, but if they refuse to grow too…gotta cut the cord.

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  11. I find that sometimes when environments in your life shift, so do your friends. I used to play sports and had lots of friends through sports. Now I can’t play sports and nearly all those friendships are gone.

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  12. Wow, this is So good. I’ve learned I cannot change, fix, or save people–after a certain amount of being “supportive”, I can’t afford to be “drained” by them anymore. I’m lifting you and your lovely family up in prayer tonight.

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    1. Thank you for this, from the bottom of my heart. It means so much to know you’re lifting us in prayer — I truly believe in the quiet strength of that. And you’re right… we can love others without losing ourselves. Your wisdom is a gift.

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  13. This is such an important topic. One that I am trying to grasp. The circles of friends, family, and neighbors I have are so complex Carl Jung would become melancholy. I am currently trying to figure it out. Once I do I will let the folks here know what I am talking about. I can tell you it will involve movie stars, swimming pools, and lots of wild wild music.

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  14. Being an “older adult,” I never struggled with “unfriending” those who no longer served a purpose in my life. I rarely felt remorse ending a relationship I knew wasn’t meant to last. However, social media somehow made it more uncomfortable. The people I unfriended suddenly became more aware of the fact that I had ghosted them. How and why they didn’t notice this when I literally hadn’t seen them in person for long periods of time still eludes me.Thank yo for this!

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    1. Hello there,
      Thank you for sharing this — I completely understand what you mean. Somehow, unfollowing online feels more visible than growing apart in real life, even when the distance has been there for years. I’m glad the post resonated with you.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  17. This was a powerful read for me. I moved away from California in 2004, leaving my very best friend behind. We saw each other every day for fifteen years, talked on the phone all the time, spent every important event we could together. But after I moved away, we just slowly grew apart.

    We still talk on the phone now and then, but there’s a lot of awkward silences and just.. it’s not the same.

    I still care about her, deeply. But our friendship is not the same. We have both moved on.

    I THINK that’s a good thing.

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you for sharing something so close to your heart. It’s incredibly hard when someone who was once part of your daily life becomes a quiet memory in the background. And yet, there’s such maturity and grace in recognizing that we can still care deeply… even as we grow in different directions. Sometimes letting go—gently, without blame—is how we honor what was. And yes, I agree… it can be a good thing. ❤️
      Have a great Sunday.
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  19. Most of my life, I’ve found myself turning around midstream—walking away from those obsessively controlling and relentlessly demanding individuals. There’s a quiet success in admitting when you’ve handed over the reins to someone who insisted on steering, especially when their direction leads straight into failure. So, by all means, if you find yourself entangled with a person or organization that floods your mind with toxic suggestions and leaves you feeling miserable—step aside. Protect your peace. There’s strength in letting go. The best thing worth saving is yourself!

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you for this powerful reflection. Your words carry such truth—and strength. There is a quiet kind of success in walking away, especially when it means reclaiming your peace and direction. I admire the clarity and courage you’ve shared here. Yes… the best thing worth saving is yourself. Thank you for adding such depth to the conversation. 🌿✨

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  20. You know, Georgi, I am going through exactly this phenomenon at the moment and I think we’re still – collectively – experiencing fallout from the lockdowns in all manner of social settings. When it comes to making new friends, gosh, does this seem difficult now. It’s not that people don’t want to connect: it’s almost like we no longer can and when we do, it’s too immense. I’m just hoping that things even out soon because a lot of people must be going through the same thing or something very similar: certainly people on this page.

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    1. Hello there,
      Thank you so much for sharing this—it really speaks to something I think many of us are quietly carrying. You’re right… the aftershocks of those years still ripple through our social lives, and connection can feel heavier, more uncertain, even overwhelming. But I also believe what you said—people do want to connect. Maybe we’re just learning how to do it all over again, more slowly, more carefully. I’m so glad you shared this here. You’re not alone—and I know your words will resonate with others reading too. 🌿❤️
      Have a wonderful rest of the day.
      Georgi

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  21. I recently unfollowed my biological sister, because the relationship got very toxic and unbearable. I also wrote a post about it. I’m still grieving, recovering, adjusting but I chose myself this time. Thanks @Georgi for this post. I know you didn’t mean, dysfunctional relationships but I still wanted to share that I could relate to your post.

    Cheers

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you for trusting me with something so personal. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through such a painful decision, but I truly admire your courage in choosing your own peace and well-being. Grieving and adjusting take time, and it’s okay to honor those feelings while still standing by your choice. I’m glad the post resonated with you, even in a different context. Wishing you healing and gentler days ahead. 🌿❤️
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  22. We have two contradictory statements. The first is like your Bularian proverb, “Out of sight. Out of mind.” The second one states the opposite, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” The first group we should unfollow. The second group we should hold onto.

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    1. Hello,
      That’s such an interesting way to put it—and I love the connection to the Bulgarian proverb! You’re right… some absences quietly close a chapter, while others deepen the bond. The real challenge is knowing which is which. I think that’s where listening to our heart—and noticing how we feel in someone’s presence or absence—can guide us. Thank you for sharing this perspective, it adds a lot to the conversation. 🌿✨
      Regards,
      Georgi

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    1. Yes, exactly! I love seeing how certain sayings travel across cultures with just a change of words. It’s a reminder that, no matter where we’re from, we often share the same wisdom. Thank you for reading and for your kind words! 👍🌿

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  24. Your words truly resonate with me today. The way you wrote it is powerful—letting go is never easy, but you captured it perfectly: “Some people were only meant to stay for a chapter.”

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you so much—I’m really touched to know these words resonated with you. Letting go is never easy, but sometimes it’s the most loving thing we can do for ourselves. That line about chapters came from a place of experience, and I’m glad it found meaning for you too. 🌿✨
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  25. A very good way to look at waning relationships in my opinion!

    I had a friendship I thought would stand the test of time; we had lived together for two years and gone through quite a few life changes together. But recently I became more okay with quietly letting that friendship go, as it was no longer serving me and filled me with anxiety. I don’t really speak to her anymore, just occasionally, but since moving across the United States I became more okay with the idea that she wasn’t going to be in my life forever.

    I still grieve that friendship from time to time, it shouldn’t have ended, or at least ended the way it did. But every day I am becoming more okay with the idea that maybe it was for the better, or maybe later on in life it’ll be rekindled. But in the meantime I feel more okay with myself.

    -Marti

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you for sharing your story, Marti. It takes courage to let go of a friendship you thought would last a lifetime, especially when so much history is woven into it. I hear both the grief and the peace in your words, and I think it’s beautiful that you’re allowing yourself to feel both. Sometimes endings arrive in ways we never expected, and yet, with time, they make space for healing… and maybe even for reconnection someday. In the meantime, I’m glad you’re finding more peace with yourself—that’s a powerful place to be. 🌿✨
      Regards,
      Georgi

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    1. Hello,
      I love the way you put that! Sometimes the cage really does need a good rattling—we get too used to keeping the door closed. Thank you for reminding me that shaking things up is part of the mission. 🔑✨
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  29. Pingback: Letting Go & Unfollowing – 8 Fold

  30. Your piece really resonated with me. I’ve been saying this out loud for a while, but people have tried to make me feel guilty for it. Reading your words—‘It’s OK to unfollow people in real life too. You’re not cold. You’re not rude. You’re not wrong. You’re just making space for the ones who are still meant to be there’—felt like confirmation. Thank you for putting it so clearly.

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    1. Hello again,
      I’m so grateful you shared this with me. You’re right—letting go often comes with guilt because others don’t always understand, but it’s never about being cold. It’s about protecting your peace and making space for what’s real and nurturing. I’m glad those lines gave you the confirmation you needed. Trusting your journey is never wrong. 🌿✨

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  31. In med school, I had more than one friend from Bulgaria — polite, respectful 🙏, and inspiring in the way they lived their lives 👏✨❤️. You, my friend, are no different. Too many times ⏲️😪💔 I’ve waited too long to unfollow, let go, etc. Kanpai (乾杯), Geonbae (건배), Gānbēi (干杯) — here’s to never doing that s* again!”

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    1. Hello,
      This made me smile—thank you, my friend. I love how you connected it with both the Bulgarian saying and your own experience. And yes, sometimes we really do wait too long before letting go. Here’s to rattling those cages, making space for peace, and raising a glass to living lighter. Geonbae, Gānbēi, Kanpai! 🥂✨
      Have a wonderful day!
      Regards,
      Georgi

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  32. This is brilliant and so very timely for many of us, I’m sure, but especially for me. When I ruminated about this with a friend, a long time ago, she asked the question, “If you met that person today, would you be such good friends?” If I ask that and the answer is no, I let go.

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    1. Hello,
      That’s such wise advice—thank you for sharing it. I love your friend’s question, “If you met that person today, would you be such good friends?” It’s such a clear and honest way of checking where relationships stand. Sometimes the answer guides us to let go gently, and that’s okay. Your words add so much depth to this conversation—I’m grateful you shared them here. 🌿✨
      Have a great day and a wonderful new week.
      GK

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