Stop Blocking People. Just Walk Away When They Don’t Meet Your Expectations

A quick PSA for all the grown-ups out there: blocking people—whether on your phone or social media—doesn’t serve you. Why? Because it’s reactive and avoidant, not a thoughtful, deliberate way to set boundaries. It’s time to embrace maturity and simply walk away when things no longer serve you.

Say bye bye to the people you don’t want in your life. The people who leave you hanging, and who don’t reciprocate love, respect, or healthy communication. According to besties and cohosts April McDaniel and Savannah James, boss babes don’t block anybody. They talk about the power of dismissing “not so great people” from your life on their latest episode of Everybody’s Crazy. 

It’s time to let the drama go and the people who are not meeting your needs. Let them know: “You’re not welcome here anymore.” Too harsh? Well, sometimes, the truth hurts.

When dismissing someone, setting boundaries is paramount.

Of course, an exception for blocking someone is in more serious situations of harassment or safety concerns. But when it comes to someone not meeting your expectations in a romantic relationship, McDaniel and James are fans of a more confident, self-assured dismissing of their lack-luster efforts. 

“We live in a world where people can’t be honest. People play games instead of saying how they feel and what they need,” McDaniel explains. 

Communicate your boundaries, aka tell the other person that their current behavior does not align with your expectations. It means communicating what you will and will not accept. It means deliberately and clearly stating that the person’s current level of commitment doesn’t work for you. Here’s the door. Bye now. 

You can leave the door open if you want to. 

It never hurts to leave the door cracked for a romantic connection, if and only if the person is willing to do the work to grow and be better. McDaniel says that if they are ready to “show up in full effect” and once their “life calms down,” you can make it clear that you are there with arms wide open. 

But just don’t leave the door open to any ex who wants to spin the block. Put yourself out there and date around. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket because you’ve got good eggs,” James says.

Move on with your life.

Dismissing someone means communicating your boundaries and expectations. If the other person is still not meeting them, it’s time to move on. Staying in a relationship that does not serve you is a disservice to yourself. 

“It’s very interesting what people are willing to put up with just because they don’t want to be alone, instead of just walking away,” McDaniel says. “People wonder why they feel empty but you are spreading yourself so thin in relationships where you are getting nothing back.”

There’s no need to block someone who is not meeting your expectations or treating you the way you require. Instead, just walk away. Dismissing someone is profound and simple—there’s no need to give someone your time or energy when they are not matching yours. 

Read Next

• Is It the End of the Nice Girl Era?
• Your Friend Disappeared—Now What? Advice for Handling Friendship Breakups
• Why Celebrating Friendship Is Important: A Toast To Chosen Family