Romantic relationships, both before and during a partnership, are one of the most unpleasant situations in which the green-eyed monster manifests itself. It hurts both parties when we start to question our partner’s commitment to us or envy the time they spend with their friends or hobbies instead of us.
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Your response to feeling uneasy and worried about your relationship and, more importantly, yourself is jealousy. The causes are numerous, ranging from a lack of confidence (internal conflict) to misinterpreting the partner’s actions and words (external conflict).)
Poor self-image and fixation on personal insecurities can make us suspicious and instill a fear of being betrayed, Zaharova said, while misunderstandings stem from the lack of open communication and discussions of moments that trigger negative reactions.
Whatever the reason that compels you to behave this way, you should see jealousy as a clear signal to work on your internal problems,”
Your body can tense up or your heart can beat faster. Often, jealousy can produce feelings of anger and resentment which can lead to reduced sleep, and our physical and mental health patterns,”
It can be challenging to control feelings of jealousy, and fighting it can instead lead to further guilt and internal turmoil.
Practice Acceptance:
It is then helpful to self-reflect to understand the source, or perhaps learn something new from this reaction. For example, if feeling jealous of your partner’s close relationship with another person, you may want to investigate the level of emotional intimacy you and your partner currently have. Perhaps you may identify areas for improvement. Better understanding the source of our insecurities and charing our needs are healthy ways to express and channel jealousy.”
Be Grateful
Write down all the things in your life you have and are grateful for. This exercise can be done anywhere or anytime and the experience can be eye-opening. Meditate. Take five minutes to remind yourself that you are worthy and enough. Slow deep breathing combined with a positive internal dialogue can work wonders for our self-esteem hence subsiding jealousy
Stop thinking about what you deserve or are entitled to and get out and help someone. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, help a co-worker with a project, or carry your neighbor’s groceries. Acts of service not only make the world a better place but also help build your social support group while helping you to feel better about the person you are.”
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Maria Teneva on Unsplash
