On the outside, jealousy as an emotion seems common, and conquerable. But when the beast rears its ugly head, the emotion is anything but manageable and can bring out the worst reactions and fears. How can you really triumph over jealousy?
The first step is looking it right in the eye.
When feelings of jealousy bubble up, and before you lash out, try to realize what triggered them. Make a mental note or even a list of the things that make you feel jealous and begin to realize if there is a pattern or one glaring thing that sparks all the other feelings. Keep track of your jealousy with these tips:
- Realize jealous feelings
- Question why you are feeling jealous, where are the feelings coming from?
- Figure out ways to counter jealousy with rational reactions
- Put these steps to work consistently
Jealousy cannot be defeated if its source is unknown. At the same time, do not discount your feelings as merely irrational emotions. Jealousy is a secondary emotion, which means that something must first happen to cause you to feel jealous. What is that something? Why does it make you feel jealous? When you learn how to recognize your primary emotions, you can better control jealousy and as such, you can control the outcome of any emotions that may follow.
Jealousy is lonely, stressful, degrading, and attacks self-esteem. Build yourself up by taking control of your emotions and working toward eliminating circumstances that do anything but bring out the best in you.
Source: Alina Ruigrok Photo: Mihai Radu
