How Jealousy Affects Your Health And How To Keep It Under Control

October 20, 2020 - By Dii

Jealousy, just like anger, is an ugly emotion that can sometimes blind you and alter your perceptions of reality although it feels like a completely normal human emotion. Battling these types of emotions for a long period of time, jealousy can negatively affect your health, both physically and mentally.

It is indeed very easy to put blame on someone but it typically stems from something deep inside you, and the only way to free yourself from it is to address the root of the problem and start resolving from there.

What is Jealousy?

It can be defined as:

Showing envy of someone for their achievements and advantages;
Feeling or showing suspicion of someone’s unfaithfulness in a relationship; and,
Being fiercely protective or vigilant of one’s rights or possessions.

Consequences of Jealousy

Benefit

Healthy jealousy drives good competition.

Downsides to Your Social Life

It can destroy relationships.
Be it friendship or any types of relationship, jealousy tends to occur.

It leaves you all alone.
If you are a jealous person, chances are, you will be left all alone and abandoned in the end because no one would be interested with your company as they do not want to be the victim of your next jealousy act. You will have no one to share your feelings of jealousy with anymore, as friends are sick of hearing how you are going to take down that other friend who had done better than you.

It can negatively affect your career.
Jealousy at workplace for other colleagues can affect your career in a bad way. While it gives you the drive to put in your best every single time, it can also lead to unethical acts like trying to outshine others using unethical methods. Your competitive nature that is fed by jealousy would make people avoid you – for they are afraid that they would be your next victim, and you end up having no friends at work.

Disadvantages to Your Health

It can give rise to many health problems such as heart attacks, headaches, migraine and many others.
Sometimes, things get a little too over and you sink deeper into the competitive nature of everything. A jealous person is fearful of losing out to people. Hence, they would tend to be overly suspicious of many things and inflict a fair share of tension and stress to themselves to ensure they surpass others.

It can cause an increase on your blood pressure.
As your irritation mounts, you can feel your blood pressure rising. And that’s exactly what is happening to your body when you have an argument. The effects can be prolonged. A week after the irritating incident, you just need to think about the argument and your blood pressure will rise again.
It can make you mentally and physically ill.
Negative thoughts that are usually self-inflicted would make you an over-sensitive person who is prone to depression and anxiety, making you wear out both mentally and physically.
It can also slow your body’s ability to heal by at least a day.
A rapid increase in cytokines immune-molecules which are released during strong emotions triggers inflammation. Chronic high levels of these are linked to arthritis, diabetes, heart-disease and cancer.

How To Keep Your Emotions Under Control

Jealousy is both a short-term and long-term struggle. When envy strikes in the moment, your cheeks get warm, and your body starts to shake a little. But rest assured, there are a few quick fixes to help you chill.

Focus on the positive.
Make a list of the positive things you’ve achieved in your work and in the rest of your life. Visualizing positive emotional states can induce beneficial effects on health. On the contrary, the longer you let negativity control your thoughts, the longer you will suffer, both psychologically and physically. Harboring negative emotions and having the same fight with yourself or with others gets you nowhere fast, and a good way to ward off the bad mojo is to replace it with positive energy.

Be grateful for what you have.
Whether a partner, an achievement or simply being alive, being grateful is what all it takes to boost immunity, lower blood pressure and speed healing throughout the body. Love, gratitude and contentment all trigger oxytoci, a bonding hormone secreted by the heart whenever you feel open and connected. It switches off stress by causing the nervous system to relax, therefore increasing oxygenation to the tissues which thereby produces healing.
Use “decision language” instead of seeing yourself as the victim.
Describe the situation in words that put you in charge. Instead of saying, “I got shafted,” say, “What can I do to be better next time?”

Forget about it and move on.
If you have recently experienced a dispute, a seething irritation or a simple frustration, you could be best off forgetting about it, rather than letting it affect your health negatively.

Remove yourself from a stressful situation.
If you catch yourself in an escalating argument or are feeling stressed, remove yourself from the situation and find a quiet spot. Take up to 15 deep breaths into your abdomen. Aim to center yourself with the reassurance that all is well, and you are in control. This can lower your pulse rate and blood pressure almost immediately. If you’re having an argument, walk back into the room for a discussion. If that isn’t possible, leave.

Equalize the playing field.
Envy and jealousy increase when office politics take the place of clear rules for success. If this is the case, work with your supervisor or colleagues to make positive changes.

Choose a less stressful lifestyle.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you get a grip on feelings of anger and frustration. Also look at ways to manage or reduce other areas of stress. Could you make a long commute less stressful by taking public transportation?

Manage your time wisely to meet certain deadlines.
If you’re working yourself up with tight deadlines, knock five items off your to-do list. Abdominal breathing is a vital part of turning around your feelings breathe deeply for a few minutes and you may relax and let go of worries.

Visualize yourself laughing, joyful and full of energy.
Imagining the feeling itself vividly, the more effective it will be. You can also repeat positive phrases to yourself such as- “I feel happier and more carefree day by day!”. Repeating this kind of phrase can literally lift your spirits, your energy levels and your health.

Take a step back and physiologically de-escalate yourself.
Talk to a friend about how your perception of unfairness is making you feel while taking deep diaphragmatic breaths. A therapist or counselor can help you sort out these feelings, and help you concentrate on the direction you are choosing for your life. Once you get the confidence to move forward with your own goals, you will most likely be less worried about what is happening with someone else.

Ditch your denial and recognize your own feelings.
Recognizing that feelings of jealousy are totally normal and is just a part of being human. Accept the feelings you’re experiencing for what they are, and then you can start to dig a little deeper. Also, identifying the exact cause of jealousy allows us to set new goals and direction.

Last but not the least, utilize your energy by focusing on yourself, rather than others. Don’t look right, left, or behind you. Always move forward because focusing on yourself will always make you feel better.

How Jealousy Affects Your Health And How To Keep It Under Control

What is Jealousy?