Jealousy has a bad reputation. It’s not uncommon to hear well-meaning people say things like, “Don’t be jealous” or “Jealousy destroys relationships.” But what makes this emotion so bad? While it often involves romantic relationships, jealousy can emerge whenever you’re worried about losing anything or anyone important to you. This is different from jealousy, which involves wanting something to belong to someone else. Jealousy can lead to feelings of anger, frustration, or sadness. But it can often tell you a thing or two about yourself and your needs. Let us read the below post to know more: Healthy Ways to Deal with Jealousy in Relationships.
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Appreciate Yourself
Healthy Ways to Deal with Jealousy in Relationships: One of the main reasons why people get jealous is that they have low self-esteem and insecurity issues. They tend to think that they are not good enough, their partner will realize this and will leave them for someone else. You need to know that there is a reason why your partner liked you in the first place and got together with you. If you need some reaffirmation or appreciation, don’t hesitate to ask for that too (within reason of course). The next time you feel jealous, remember that your partner is with you because they want to be with you because of your positive qualities.
Heal Your Wounds
People tend to act jealous because of previous relationships too. You might have been hurt before and they might have cheated on you. You have to move beyond your past and realize that you are out of that relationship and in a new one. The person that you are with is not your ex-partner. Understanding the roots, triggers, and reasons for your jealousy is an important part of personal growth and maintaining a healthy relationship. Whenever you start feeling jealous, make a conscious effort to heal your old wounds, be more resilient so that your past does not affect your present and future.
Manage your emotions healthfully
“Practice mindfulness to calm your runaway emotions,” Morelli said. For instance, she suggested readers tune into their body to identify how they’re feeling, take several deep breaths and try to detach from the intensity of those emotions.
If your jealousy involves your romantic relationship, share your feelings with your partner after you calm down, she said. To process your emotions, she also suggested journaling, dancing to your favorite music, and taking a walk.
Discover the six human needs
It’s likely that your jealousy is telling you something about your Six Human Needs. These are the needs that must be met in order to create a fulfilling relationship. They underlie every decision we make – and jealousy is a decision. It isn’t a result of your partner’s actions or something that was done to you in the past. It’s a result of your unique values and your mindset. You can learn to control it, but you must go to the source: your own thoughts, emotions, and needs.
Trust Your Partner
You must trust your partner because you have no other option if you want to have a happy and successful relationship. No one can control your partner and you have to let jealousy go. Having some control is not a bad thing, yet trying to control somebody for things over which you have no control, is problematic. Act in a loving manner in spite of feelings of jealousy you experience.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness techniques help you pay attention to your thoughts and feelings as they come up without judging or criticizing them. Increasing your awareness around jealousy can help you notice any patterns it follows, including things that happen before you feel jealous.
Mindfulness can also help you feel more comfortable with jealousy. For example, it can help you notice and accept your jealous feelings for what they are — part of your emotional experience — and move on. Not judging the jealousy, or yourself for feeling it can help keep it from affecting you negatively.
Talk to a therapist
If you’re having trouble coping with jealous thoughts on your own, talking to a therapist can help.
It’s not always easy to talk about jealousy. You might feel even more uncomfortable sharing these thoughts with someone you don’t know. But a good therapist will meet you with kindness and compassion.
Plus, they know better than anyone that jealousy is a normal emotion that everyone feels at some point.
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