“…bye.”
“uhh…bye!”
Ending conversations with friends used to be so cringey for me.
Especially when we had such a great time… it just felt wrong to not wrap things with a sparkly bowtie.
After much trial and error, here are my favorite strategies to end a conversation with a friend, without making it awkward:
Get their final thoughts
To start wrapping up the conversation, create space for their last comments. Ask one of the following questions:
- “Before we go, anything else you would like to share?”
- “Any final thoughts/comments?”
- “What else is on your mind?”
- “Anything that you didn’t get to talk about?”
Ask them about what they will do after
This also helps you transition to ending the conversation. Use any of the following questions:
- “Any plans after this?
- “What’re you up to later today/tomorrow?”
- “What’re you doing for the weekend?”
Make plans to meet/chat again
It’s easy for friendships to fall by the wayside, especially when you have work and family to keep you busy. Suggest dates and times for your next meetup/call, and commit to one on the spot if possible.
I’d also recommend two things:
- Plan new activities to do together: Here’s why that is important.
- Set up a recurring call/meetup: This saves you time in reaching out and coordinating later, and helps “future-proof” your friendship.
Take a moment to appreciate the friendship
To deepen the connection, tell your friend that you love them and that you value the friendship. In a study, by simply expressing gratitude to their friends, participants felt that their friendship was stronger.
Here’s what you could say:
- Just say it: “Thank you for being my friend.”
- Compliment your friend: “I appreciate you as a friend because…”
- Celebrate the friendship: “Here’s what I love about our friendship…”
Say your goodbyes
Just saying “bye” is the easiest of course, but it depends on context. Check out these other phrases:
12 simple phrases to end a conversation politely
How to end a negative conversation
Even the best of friendships have conflict. There’s no way to avoid that! Here’s how you can address the negativity without hurting the friendship:
How to end a negative conversation without being rude
How to end a boring conversation
If your conversation with your friend is dying down or going stale — and you’ve tried your best to keep the chat going — try any of these strategies:
Related articles