Why it's OK to let friendships fade out - BBC News

"Relationships aren't all or nothing," says Nelson. If there's someone you truly want to reach back out to but feel awkward doing so because it's been so long, you could say something like: "'Oh my goodness, my head is finally above water. I have thought about you so many times over the past year, and I am so sorry that we lost touch'," she says. "I just wanted to let you know that you were missed. If you have time, I would love to meet you for that walk we always talk about' or 'I can't wait to get back into the office'."

"Just acknowledge it and say, 'I wish we were able to keep in touch, but we weren't able to'," continues Nelson. "I think everybody understands that."

Another situation many people find themselves in is having reconnected with old friends from years ago during the pandemic, like old pals from university. And while that was a gift for many amid the health crisis, you may feel obliged to keep corresponding as often as you did during lockdown, which might feel a bit draining. 

"A lot of my text threads are kind of slowing down on their own," says Nelson. She's sent messages to show that while she wants to keep the door open, she wants to be upfront that there isn't an expectation to keep messages going with the same regularity. "I just said, 'it's so cool to see so many of you getting out and doing more stuff on Facebook, and just wanted to say it was so special to journey a little bit closer to you this year, and I'm just wishing you the very best as you re-emerge back into life'. I'm validating and appreciating what was, and naming that, and also stating, 'best to you going forward'."

The pandemic profoundly changed the way we socialise and how we approach relationships. As we enter a new phase of life, and begin to re-examine many of these relationships, experts say you definitely shouldn't go around burning bridges, but don't feel pressured to try and fit everyone back into your life. And try not to feel guilty that the friendship lapsed during the pandemic – experts say we should be easy on ourselves and forgive ourselves and each other, because the last 15 months really have been unprecedented.

"If there's a friend who you didn't speak to at all during the pandemic, and things just totally chilled out – I mean, they got the message," says Degges-White. "And they were probably sending you a message, too."