Changing your environment/friends

[catalyst]

Hi everyone.

I've had the same group of friends for most of my life. While they seem to be 'good' in terms of their intentions, they live their lives in a way I find is not congruent with my values. They cruise through life unconsciously, focusing on material things and to them it is all about having a good time (partying and drinking). I'm now single after being in a relationship for several years and I'm finding these old friends calling me and trying to pull me back. When I had my ex, she brought distance between me and my friends and it was a good thing. I know they are trying to be there for me after I got my heart broken, but I don't want or need that from them.

I am finding it hard to always turn them down, and sometimes they do provide a social outlet for me. I just feel as though I am being limited by their friendship and it is hard to change when I'm around them. I'm just very frustrated with how my life is at the moment - so much that I feel like moving geographically to get a new start. I just don't know how realistic it is for me to uproot and move away. I'm just tired of how predictable and bleak my environment has become. I don't want to be the person that I was before. I think if my surroundings changed, it would help my shift me state of mind to a new place.

I am contemplating on ways I can remove myself from these old friends of mine that I've known for so long. I plan to be honest with them, to tell some of them I won't see them very often, but I have a feeling it won't be that easy. For whatever reason, they seem attracted to my presence. Anybody else go through something similar to this? How do you tell your friends that you no longer want to associate with them?