How To Overcome Envy

[TopicStarter]

They say, “the bitter heart eats its owner.” And indeed, the green-eyed monster does not take away from the other person but only ruins your own mental health and turns you sour. 

On the other hand, when someone feels confident after a significant accomplishment, it is easier to be around other successful people and congratulate them on their achievements. At the same time, if you always depend on “winning” to find happiness for another person, it is possibly a recipe for disaster. 

In fact, it is perhaps your competitive spirit and mindset that beckons the evil voice in your head to whisper, “why not me?” whenever someone else does well. Be it at work, in the classroom, among siblings and friends – these feelings do come and go.

However, comparing yourself with others all the time can interfere in relationships and ruin your self-esteem. So, don’t let your envy simmer, and use my tips to overcome it and feel good about yourself every day.

#1 Acknowledge your envy: look the green-eyed monster right in the eye, and don’t be afraid. After all, envy is a common trait felt by almost everyone in the world. However, very few people can come to terms with the fact that they may be jealous of someone else. 

That said, acknowledging your envy and shedding off pride is already an accomplishment. At this point, console yourself with the fact that nobody has it all either. 

#2 Count your blessings: envy happens when you count other people’s blessings and not your own. That said, keep a journal to jot down five accomplishments you have made that week. Be it a big success at work or simply getting a baby to wave back to you on a train ride – count each success even if nobody is looking. 

While this exercise helps build self-esteem, it also pushes you to become better for yourself and nobody else. 

#3 Spread positivity: practice positivity and make an effort to give others compliments, even though it may be difficult at first. Chances are, people will return the favor and reveal more wonderful things about you that you hadn’t known. 

In a similar vein, practice saying playful remarks, such as “I’ll get you next time,” after losing to your best friend in a computer game. And for other times when you feel envy creeping in, repeat this mantra: “I choose to get better instead of staying bitter”.

Everyone has been envious of someone else at some point in there life. What steps to did you take to overcome this?

[Sophia]

Counting you blessings goes hand in hand with being grateful. This is something more and more people struggle with every day. If you are grateful for what you have, you have no reason to be envious! Great tips!

[Mila]

On 8/25/2021 at 7:44 PM, Sophia said:

Counting you blessings goes hand in hand with being grateful. This is something more and more people struggle with every day. If you are grateful for what you have, you have no reason to be envious! Great tips!

Yeah this world needs more of this for sure. So many people in my life spend a lot of time and energy looking at what other people have and it just makes them more unhappy. It is not worth the stress! 

[Stacey]

Envy can be a self-sabotaging thing. In the moment, it is hard to control but when you actually hear people talk in an envious manner, you will see how off-putting it is. I had a friend who would always talk down about other women who I know she thought looks better than her. It was really nasty stuff and made herself look very unattractive and emotionally juvenile.