Wearing green may be a fashion staple for spring, but seeing green isn’t quite the statement we want to make. When it comes to our emotions, jealousy is far less becoming — no matter what season it is.
While a little envy is probably harmless (who doesn’t want the quick wit of Mindy Kaling or the toned arms of Jillian Michaels?), too much of the emotion can have serious health implications. Jealousy has been linked to increased stress hormones in the body and even a higher risk of Alzheimer’s in women.
“Secure people might be the opposite of envious folks,” Scott Bea, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells The Huffington Post. “When people are jealous, they often over-think and try to over-control circumstances.”
There are certain behaviors we can all practice in order to eliminate the green monster from our lives. Below are nine habits of people who are secure with themselves, as well as simple solutions to squash envy when it starts to creep in.
–
In other words? You’re more than your title or the awards on your shelf.
They don’t compare themselves to others.
As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” If you’re constantly stacking up your life against someone else’s, chances are you’ll find something to nitpick. Instead, just plainly fixate on the positives — in your life and in the lives of others.
“There’s always going to be something better than what you have,” Smith explains. “Envy is really perceptual. Nothing that you have is going to feel good if you’re constantly thinking there’s something else that’s better. Don’t focus on comparisons.”
