Why Are We Feel Jealous?

A normal day at work. Or.... so you thought. 

The new colleaugue, has been part of the team for the past few months and seems to be very active, very enthusiastic and very good at the job. You have been very supportive and spoke the best of him to the boss. However, today you cannot stand to be around that person. 

Even though you know how good that person is at the job, today the line has been crossed and you feel useless and unworthy of your position. But why are you jealous?

Let's break it down:

    1. What is jealousy?

According to Psychology Today 'Jealousy is a complex emotion that encompasses feelings ranging from suspicion to rage to fear to humiliation.' The same article argues that jealousy and envy  can appear in all types of relationships ranging from romantic, parental, frienships and at work environments. 

    2. Why do we feel jealous?

Good Therapy's article states that some of the reasons we feel jealous might be sibling rivalry, insecurity, competition, perfectionism and trust issues.  

    3. Then how do we deal with jealousy?

Psychcentral supports that the best way to deal with jealousy and envy is first of all to recognize what your feeling are and why. Learn from your jealousy and discover what might be the reasons that trigger these feelings before learning to let go. If you are able to understand yourself then managing your emotions in a healthy way and reminding yourself of your positive traits will help you gain back your confidence and see clearly.

While jealousy and envy are not pleasant to experience psycology today   state that studies have shown that they are important to our survival and achievements. It alerts us when a relationship, friendship, co-worker relation might be in danger or might be putting us in danger. Also jealousy can motivate us to become better, to work and achieve even more. 

As long as jealousy does not become dangerous and is not urging us to act in violent ways by hurting another directly or indirectly, it is a way of alerting us to maintain the important relationships in our lives and urging us to study, work harder and become better!

 

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