7 Reasons It’s Okay To Feel Jealous Sometimes

One of the worst feelings ever has to be feeling jealous. Whether you’re envious of friends, family members or something your boy/girlfriend is doing, the green-eyed monster is never fun to deal with. It would be nice if jealousy didn’t exist, but it does… and I think it’s time to start shaming ourselves for feeling it.

The fact is, jealousy is normal. Of course, that feeling can get out of control and destructive very easily, but as long as you know how to control and manage your jealousy, there’s no reason to feel badly about it. To drive that point home, here are 6 reasons it’s okay to feel jealous sometimes.

EVERYONE Gets Jealous

No matter what anyone says, everyone feels jealous once in a while. It may happen more often for some people than for others, but trust me – everyone feels it at certain points in their life. While it’s true that jealousy can be a sign of low self-esteem, it only becomes a serious issue when you feel jealous of everything and everyone around you and you feel like it’s uncontrollable.

Jealousy Can Motivate You To Be Better

Maybe you’re jealous that your BFF just got a better grade than you did on a test you studied really hard for. Maybe you’re envious of someone else’s job. Whatever it is, you can sometimes turn this negative feeling into something productive. If you’re jealous of something, it’s usually because you want it – let that jealousy motivate you into doing what you can to achieve your goal.

Jealousy and Relationships Go Hand-In-Hand

Like I said, everyone gets jealous… especially when they’re in a relationship. Even in the most stable relationships, there is a little jealousy every once in a while. If you don’t learn how to deal with these feelings, you’re going to have a hard time dating, well, anyone.

It Might Keep You From Getting Hurt

Sometimes that jealous feeling is there to prevent you from getting hurt – it acts as a warning sign that something is going on. If you never feel jealous, you might notice that that girl is getting a little too close to your boyfriend or that he’s being just a little flirty with someone else.

It Can Be A Learning Experience

You can’t learn how to deal with a nasty feeling unless you’ve been through it, you know what I mean? In order to figure out how to control and deal with your jealousy, you need to experience it first. Also, feeling envious can lead to important discussions about trust and honesty in relationships that you need to have.

It Could Be A Sign That You’re Not In The Right Relationship

Like I said, jealousy can act as a warning sign that something is wrong, especially in relationships. A psychologist once told me that if you feel too jealous even though it seems like you shouldn’t be, it could be a gut feeling that you shouldn’t ignore. This isn’t always true, but it can be in some situations. Also, too much jealousy could be a sign that you’re not ready to be in a relationship yet – or that you’re in the wrong one.