How to Stop Being Emotionally Attached to Someone – 15 Tips!

How to Stop Being Emotionally Attached to Someone

Being emotionally attached to someone isn’t always healthy and it can take a toll on you.

If you need to break an emotional attachment to someone, for whatever the reason may be, it’s going to take a deliberate effort.

It can be done, however, and you’ll feel better for it!

Here are 15 tips explaining how to stop being emotionally attached to someone:

How to Stop Being Emotionally Attached to Someone – 15 Tips!

1. Take an Honest Look at Why You’re Emotionally Attached to Them

The first step is to take a look at what you’re emotionally attached to someone.

This means being honest about what you get from the relationship, why you feel the way you do, what’s missing from your life, etc.

It’s a tough conversation to have, and it may not be possible without the help of a good friend or a therapist.

But it’s a conversation you need to have if you’re going to make changes going forward to break your emotional attachment and not feel the need to form another one right away.

Related Do emotional affairs really turn into true love?

2. Set Boundaries for Yourself and The Other Person

The next step is to set boundaries.

This means having a clear understanding of what you will and will not tolerate from the other person.

It also means setting boundaries for yourself.

For example, you might want to set boundaries around when and how often you see them, what you do for them, and vice versa.

Whatever you need to do to make sure you’re not relying on someone emotionally you need to set a boundary for as it’ll help keep you both accountable.

3. Lean on Your Support Network for Help

Having a good support network can literally be the difference between success and failure, so I hope you have some people to lean on.

I’m sure you do have some family members or close friends that would be willing to hear you out.

It’s okay to need help, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

In fact, it takes a lot of strength to admit when you need help and to reach out for it.

So, if you’re feeling lost, or like you can’t do this on your own, please reach out to your support network for help.

4. Practice Self-Care Exercises

Practicing self-care exercises like yoga, meditation, and journaling can help you get in touch with your emotions and learn how to deal with them in a healthy way.

It’s something that doesn’t cost anything and will only take a few minutes a day, yet so many people overlook the power of making time to work on ourselves.

I highly encourage you to try out some self-care exercises and see how they make you feel.

You might be surprised at how much better you feel after just a week or two of consistent practice while you go through your emotional detaching process.

5. Realize It’s Going to Take Time and Get Worse Before It Gets Better

If you’ve been emotionally attached to someone for a long time, it’s going to take some time to break the attachment.

And, in all honesty, it’s likely going to get worse before it gets better.

You might find yourself feeling more alone and lost at first, but that’s normal.

It’s important to give yourself time to grieve the loss of the attachment and to adjust to a new way of living.

6. Cut Ties With Them if It’s Too Difficult to See Them

While you can try and detach yourself in part, and it may be necessary to do so, you might also want to consider going ‘cold turkey’.

If you find that it’s too difficult to see the person you’re emotionally attached to without getting upset, then it might be best to cut ties with them altogether.

At least for a little while, until you’ve had time to work on yourself and feel like you can handle being around them again.

It’s not an easy decision to make, but it might be the best one in the long run.

7. Focus on Healthy Hobbies and Pastimes

The main reason why someone forms an emotional attachment to another person is because they’re missing something in their life and that person fills a void.

So, if you want to break the attachment, you need to find something else to fill that void.

I’m not suggesting a hobby will fulfill your emotional needs, but it will certainly help talk your mind off of things.

And, it’ll give you something positive to focus on while you’re going through this tough time.

8. Write Down How You’re Feeling in A Journal

Journalling is great for so many reasons, but it can also be very helpful when you’re trying to break an emotional attachment.

It allows you to get all of your thoughts and feelings out without having to burden anyone else with them.

Plus, it can help you track your progress and see how far you’ve come.

You might be surprised at how much better you feel after just a few days of journaling, as well as what flows out of your brain!

Related How to tell if an emotionally unavailable man misses you.

9. Don’t Try to Deny or Suppress Your Emotions

One of the worst things you can do when you’re trying to break an emotional attachment is to deny or suppress your emotions.

I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s so important to feel your emotions and to work through them.

If you try to push them down, they’re only going to come back up later and be even more intense.

So, instead of trying to ignore your emotions, allow yourself to feel them, and then release them through talking, journaling, and some of the other methods covered here.

10. Set Yourself Some Short and Long-Term Goals to Work Towards

I love setting goals and I can attribute goal setting to being a huge motivator for me over the years.

You should set some short and long-term goals that will help you achieve healthy relationships and build better habits.

It could be something as simple as working out for 30 minutes a day or reading one book every month.

The key is to set goals that help you create a healthier lifestyle. Just make sure your goals are realistic and achievable, so you don’t get discouraged.

11. Work on Your Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem

One of the main reasons people become emotionally attached to others is because they have low self-confidence and self-esteem.

If you want to break the attachment, you need to work on building up your own self-confidence and self-esteem.

This can be done through therapy, journaling, setting goals, and working on healthy habits.

It takes time to build up self-confidence and self-esteem, but it’s always going to be worth it in the end and impact your life in so many positive ways.

12. Learn to Put Yourself First in Future

One of the best things you can do to prevent getting emotionally attached to someone is to learn how to put yourself first in future relationships.

This doesn’t mean being selfish, but it does mean making sure your needs are met first and foremost.

You need to be in a relationship where you’re not only being valued, but where you’re also valuing yourself.

13. Broaden Your Social Circle

If you find that you’re constantly getting emotionally attached to people, it might be a good idea to try and broaden your social circle.

This will give you more people to interact with and will help you create healthier relationships.

Part of the problem might be because you know so few people that you feel the need to be attached to them so you don’t lose them.

It sounds simple, and it is, if you have more friends, you’ll be less likely to get emotionally attached to any one of them.

14. Give Yourself Time and Understand It’s Going to Be an Ongoing Process

Breaking an emotional attachment isn’t going to happen overnight.

It’s something that takes time, patience, and understanding.

You need to give yourself time to heal and to work through your emotions.

It’s also important to understand that this is an ongoing process, and you might have setbacks along the way!

Related Tips for living with an emotionally distant partner.

15. See a Therapist if You Can’t Do It Alone

If you find that you’re struggling to break the attachment, it might be a good idea to seek professional help.

A therapist can help you work through your emotions and can provide you with the tools you need to break free from the attachment.

If you’re struggling to let go, never be afraid to ask for help!


Image credits – Photo by Emilio Machado on Unsplash

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