How to Get Someone to Stop Ignoring You
Give the person space., Make sure that the person is really ignoring you., Think about why the person could be mad at you., If you're stuck, ask friends for help., Don't let it consume you.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Give the person space.
If the person is ignoring you, then the worst thing you can do is call, text, and Facebook message the person every five seconds, or even follow the person around asking, "What's wrong? What did I do?" Though you may want to be as proactive as possible when you find that someone is really ignoring you, it's the worst thing you can do if you want to repair the relationship.
Instead, take a step back to let the person cool off or just get some distance from you, and think about the situation before you proceed.
It's natural to want instant results, and to want to fix a problem the second you see it appear.
But life isn't like that.
You need to give the person some breathing room so you can both think about what happened instead of jumping into a conversation you're not ready for. -
Step 2: Make sure that the person is really ignoring you.
Paranoid much? Are you certain that the person is really ignoring you instead of just being too busy to answer your calls the second he or she hears from you? Maybe the person is in a terrible mood or a bad situation and thinks to ignore everyone is the best way to deal.
Maybe the person has just been acting weird toward everybody.
Before you proceed, it's important to make sure that the behaviour is directed toward you.
Watch the person with other people.
Is he or she chatty, friendly, and his or her usual self around others? If so, then yeah, maybe it is you.
But if the person seemed a little off and withdrawn in general, then you may have been assuming too much. , Okay, so if you've decided that the person is ignoring you, then it's time to dig deep and figure out what you could have done to make it happen.
In some cases, it will be easy
-- maybe you hurt the person by not inviting him or her to a party, maybe the person heard you were gossiping about him, or her, or maybe you just said something hurtful without meaning to and the person is upset about it.
Once you've pinpointed the reason, you can figure out how to talk about it.
Figuring out the reason gives you more ammo when you go into the conversation than just asking the person why he or she is ignoring you without knowing why.
You'll be more prepared about what to say
-- and more ready to defend your actions.
This is not to say that all of the reasons why the person could be mad at you are great.
Maybe the person thinks something you did that was harmless was really meant to be hurtful.
Even if you don't believe that you were in the wrong, it's helpful to know what the person is actually thinking. , If you're really sure that the person is ignoring you and can't for your life figure out why then you may have to turn to some mutual friends for help.
Maybe they'll know exactly what you did because they talked to the friend about it.
It could be something so harmless, or something you didn't think the person knew about, that you would never figure it out on your own.
Pick a friend who cares about both of you and wants to fix the situation and see if he or she can shed some insight and help you out.
Obviously, don't go around asking every person you both know why that person could be mad at you.
This could get back to the person and may make him or her even more annoyed. , Yeah, nobody likes to be ignored.
It can especially hurt if that person is your best friend or your significant other.
If you're used to spending a lot of time with that person or just hanging out in the same social circles as that person, then yeah, it's no fun to suddenly be given the cold shoulder.
This may drive you crazy, make you feel bad about yourself, or even feel embarrassed if the person is purposefully doing it in front of other people.
However, no matter how unpleasant the situation is, you have to stay focused on your life and your goals and the things that make you happy
-- don't let the person see that your happiness is based entirely on your relationship.
Of course, you're going to be frustrated about it, but life has to go on.
Tell yourself, "I'm going to get mad about how my friend isn't talking to me from 5 pm to 5:15 pm, and then I will get back to my life." Thinking about it over and over isn't going to make you feel better. -
Step 3: Think about why the person could be mad at you.
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Step 4: If you're stuck
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Step 5: ask friends for help.
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Step 6: Don't let it consume you.
Detailed Guide
If the person is ignoring you, then the worst thing you can do is call, text, and Facebook message the person every five seconds, or even follow the person around asking, "What's wrong? What did I do?" Though you may want to be as proactive as possible when you find that someone is really ignoring you, it's the worst thing you can do if you want to repair the relationship.
Instead, take a step back to let the person cool off or just get some distance from you, and think about the situation before you proceed.
It's natural to want instant results, and to want to fix a problem the second you see it appear.
But life isn't like that.
You need to give the person some breathing room so you can both think about what happened instead of jumping into a conversation you're not ready for.
Paranoid much? Are you certain that the person is really ignoring you instead of just being too busy to answer your calls the second he or she hears from you? Maybe the person is in a terrible mood or a bad situation and thinks to ignore everyone is the best way to deal.
Maybe the person has just been acting weird toward everybody.
Before you proceed, it's important to make sure that the behaviour is directed toward you.
Watch the person with other people.
Is he or she chatty, friendly, and his or her usual self around others? If so, then yeah, maybe it is you.
But if the person seemed a little off and withdrawn in general, then you may have been assuming too much. , Okay, so if you've decided that the person is ignoring you, then it's time to dig deep and figure out what you could have done to make it happen.
In some cases, it will be easy
-- maybe you hurt the person by not inviting him or her to a party, maybe the person heard you were gossiping about him, or her, or maybe you just said something hurtful without meaning to and the person is upset about it.
Once you've pinpointed the reason, you can figure out how to talk about it.
Figuring out the reason gives you more ammo when you go into the conversation than just asking the person why he or she is ignoring you without knowing why.
You'll be more prepared about what to say
-- and more ready to defend your actions.
This is not to say that all of the reasons why the person could be mad at you are great.
Maybe the person thinks something you did that was harmless was really meant to be hurtful.
Even if you don't believe that you were in the wrong, it's helpful to know what the person is actually thinking. , If you're really sure that the person is ignoring you and can't for your life figure out why then you may have to turn to some mutual friends for help.
Maybe they'll know exactly what you did because they talked to the friend about it.
It could be something so harmless, or something you didn't think the person knew about, that you would never figure it out on your own.
Pick a friend who cares about both of you and wants to fix the situation and see if he or she can shed some insight and help you out.
Obviously, don't go around asking every person you both know why that person could be mad at you.
This could get back to the person and may make him or her even more annoyed. , Yeah, nobody likes to be ignored.
It can especially hurt if that person is your best friend or your significant other.
If you're used to spending a lot of time with that person or just hanging out in the same social circles as that person, then yeah, it's no fun to suddenly be given the cold shoulder.
This may drive you crazy, make you feel bad about yourself, or even feel embarrassed if the person is purposefully doing it in front of other people.
However, no matter how unpleasant the situation is, you have to stay focused on your life and your goals and the things that make you happy
-- don't let the person see that your happiness is based entirely on your relationship.
Of course, you're going to be frustrated about it, but life has to go on.
Tell yourself, "I'm going to get mad about how my friend isn't talking to me from 5 pm to 5:15 pm, and then I will get back to my life." Thinking about it over and over isn't going to make you feel better.
About the Author
Andrew Henderson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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