Feeling envious of your colleague’s success is normal, but it becomes a problem when you let it fester into a growing resentment.
To prevent this feeling from consuming you, you first have to acknowledge its presence and realize how it can wreak havoc to your professional and personal life once it evolves into a raging obsession. Identify the causes of your envy and avoid situations and people that make it worse.
It also helps to focus on yourself rather than other people, as feeling jealous of the success of others means that you place higher worth on what the other has and belittle what you have. Make a list of your personal successes and appreciate what you have.
Focusing on yourself also means actively making yourself better so that you can achieve your own goals. If your colleague got promoted, perhaps it is time to put in extra effort at work and learn new skills so that you get the chance to get promoted as well. This allows you to concentrate on yourself and not dwell on other people’s lives.
On the other hand, if you are the target of envy, avoid confronting a colleague who is jealous of you, as this will only increase resentment on his part. Instead, acknowledge his success and contributions to the workplace. Learn to empathise in order to understand what that person’s problem on you is.
Remember to also protect your interests by exercising care and displaying professionalism at all times, as this person can sabotage your efforts. Instead, continue to build relationships with your peers.
The preceding article was originally published on our sister site Learning & Development.
