The end of a friendship can be just as painful and confusing as a romantic breakup, but sometimes it is for the best, especially as we get older and our lives are more complicated and hectic. When I was younger, I would spend time with just about anybody, but as the years go by, I’ve found myself becoming more selective. Life is just too short to be spent with someone who’s draining you. But it’s not easy walking away. Here are five signs that it is time to do just that:

1. It’s overly critical - Does your friend constantly criticize you? And I’m not talking about little things, like your collection of pastel-colored polo shirts, but important lifestyle choices. You don’t need another disapproving parent since you probably already have one; and if you don’t, you certainly don’t need the disapproving one you never had. Now tough love could be just the thing you need to hear, but if it’s a constant thing, please beware. This friendship could really bring you down.
2. It’s dishonest - I called up a friend I hadn’t talked to in awhile and she pretended it was the wrong number, complete with her very bad Chinese accent she reserves for telemarketers. I even told her that I knew it was her, that the jig was up, I know her little phone tricks, but she kept doing it. It really hurt that I had been demoted to the status of a random and annoying telemarketer, but it really felt good in the long run to walk away and not look back. If your friend lies to you and makes up excuses not to see you, sleeps with your girlfriend or gossips about your personal business, it’s definitely time to move on. Life is difficult enough. You need friends you can trust.
3. It’s one-sided - In the past few months has it always been you making the phone calls, emails, but it’s not reciprocated? Do you always pick up the tab when you do hang out? Your friend may really be too busy to reach out to you, so you might want to give them a bit of a grace period, but if they don’t return your messages after a few months, it’s time to give them their walking papers.
4. Life is better without them - If you can honestly say that you don’t miss the friendship, it’s definitely time to move on. This is a red signal that you weren’t getting much out of the relationship.
5. You don’t relate - As we get older we change, sometimes so much that we are not the same person anymore. Some friendships can evolve as people change, but some cannot. If your friend seems distant, hard to talk to, and not at all relatable, it’s a sign that you need to seriously re-evaluate your friendship. There is always a chance that you can reconnect, but if it’s not working it’s time to move on. Simply back away and take a break or have an honest but kind conversation.