Jealousy can affect even the strongest of relationships. Research has shown that this is a common problem in the context of couple relationships and is one of the main reasons why couples may seek therapy.

What do you do if either you (or your partner) have been feeling jealous about a certain aspect of the other’s life lately?

Respect Each Other’s Feelings

Feelings of jealousy are completely natural; there’s no denying it. One of the first things you need to do if you notice your partner getting jealous is acknowledge and respect their feelings.

Being in a relationship requires you to understand your significant other’s emotions and give them the same respect and validation you’d like your feelings to be given. You can’t control what they may be feeling, but the last thing you should do is invalidate their jealousy if they voice it out or indicate it in some other way.

Jealousy may stem from different things. It may seem completely absurd to you, but try to understand why they’re feeling this way in the first place.

Listen to them, be supportive of what they’re feeling, and make them feel at ease instead of lashing out at them and making statements such as “I’m not responsible for how you feel” or “It’s your problem”.

Trust Your Partner

Trust is the most important aspect of your romantic relationship. When feelings of jealousy creep into a relationship, trust is often compromised and this can end up ruining the bond you share.

It’s important that you trust your partner, even if you’re a little jealous about a particular aspect of their life. For instance, you may be jealous of their friendship with a specific person. However, it’s imperative that you trust them enough to know that they’ll never do anything that may breach it and hurt you. Talk to them about how you’re feeling and understand their point of view as well, but don’t let jealousy lead to mistrust and suspicion.

Reevaluate Your Toxic Traits

Jealousy can make us do things we wouldn’t have done otherwise. You can get so caught up in your own feelings of jealousy that you end up exhibiting toxic habits and threatening the foundation of your relationship.

For example, it’s very common for individuals to do things such as secretly check their partner’s phone, interrogate them about the tiniest of things, snoop through their belongings, and stalk their ex on social media platforms.

While these may seem like coping strategies to you, they’re habits you need to get rid of if you want your relationship to thrive. We often justify our own toxic behaviors in an attempt to curb our jealousy, but this only serves to get us in the habit of these things and weaken the relationship.

Rekha Shrivastava at Blossom Hypnosis helps individuals learn how to express their feelings better and eliminate jealousy through hypnosis and subconscious mind healing techniques. She also offers Skype sessions to clients not residing in Rochester, NY.