Here are four ways to stay friends with your ex relation

In the past, when a relationship ended, that was it. Most of the time, you had no way of finding out about that person anymore. You had moved, they had moved. Who knew!

According to Esther Perel, a couples therapist, people can analyse and find out what kind of a relationship one must have had in the years past by. It's easier said than done! They can think about what their life might have been like if they had stayed with the same person. They get to have a glimpse into the stories that they did not choose to live.

1. Owing A Practical Approach

Can people stay friends with people that they once had a romantic relationship? Absolutely yes! It's all a matter of trust. Can people do so in a way that is not threatening to their relationship and integrate their partner into it? Yes, that too is a possibility. They question whether they can or cannot do so is based on trust, openness and clear boundaries.

It makes sense that some people can develop harmony with someone with whom they once shared an intimate relationship. It is so because he/she is a person that they trust completely and have had a history with.

2. 'Sex' is not a Tabboo Word

Today, most of us will come to a committed relationship after years of other relationships and sometimes other sexual nomadism. Earlier sex was considered a taboo word before marriage. Partners used to have sex for the very first time after they marry. Today the situation is when two people marry, they stop having sex with others. Exclusivity – emotional or physical – means something very different when you have had other partners.

3. Intelligent Negotiation with your Spouse

As a couple, today, people are more accustomed to learning how to integrate partner & friends. For some, though it can be quite challenging. It is because they are not having the much-needed & straight-forward conversation with partners about such things. To maintain a healthy relationship, you need to have such intelligent negotiations with your spouse ever so often.

4. Don't Hide, Share Stories From the Past

Much like your present, your past plays a vital role in moulding your personality. And your partner has a right to know you for who you are. Therefore, don't hide your past from them. Instead, sharing stories about your previous relationship will instil better trust in your relationship. This way there won't be any awkwardness in case you bump into your ex.

The world is moving towards a new horizon, and your relationship should move too. No longer you need to break your friendship with your ex or choose between your partner & friends. It's you who has to decide how you want to handle your relationship with your partner and friends.