Jealousy is an emotion that can test even the strongest friendship. If you have a friend who is jealous of you, it can be difficult. Perhaps they regularly make comments expressing their envy or maybe they just negatively compare their own life with yours. Either way, it can be frustrating. But before you write off the friendship, try to see if you can help them work through their jealous feelings.
Jealousy often isn’t really a desire to have the life of another person or to own the possessions or enjoy the relationships that they have. Instead, it’s a manifestation of a person’s own feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem. For example, if a friend is jealous of your recent job promotion it may be because they lack confidence in their own work environment. Or if they are envious of your wardrobe perhaps it’s because they are depressed about their own physical appearance. Try to understand why your friend may be making comments about your circumstances.
Often when people are jealous, they make spiteful or hurtful comments. Rather than getting into an argument with your friend, try to help them work through their own issues and help them find solutions to the problems they might be facing. For example, if they are jealous of your success at work, help them discover where their own strengths lie in the workplace.
If, however, the negative impact of your friend’s jealousy is causing you stress or depression then it might be time to end the friendship. Explain to your friend why you don’t want to spend time with them and perhaps they will realise the damage their jealousy has caused.