Are you jealous of your friend’s love life? Here’s what you can do

From time to time you will find yourself jealous of your friends, and it is quite normal. You want to have the same clothes, live in the same neighbourboods and probably earn the same amount of money. However, when it comes to relationships, these feelings can be overwhelming especially when you are single and occasionally have to third wheel despite personally being in a romance rut.

While envying your friends' love life may seem like the normal thing to do, it can also prevent you from being the good friend you have always been. You will start emanating negative energy and searching for loopholes to pin down your friend’s relationship. Before your jealousy upgrades into anger and spite, here are some ways you can curb these feelings:

One of the many reasons you might get jealous of your friends' love life can be that they won’t be hanging out with you as much, or maybe they nolonger promptly replying to your messages. They will be more focused on their relationships and you are bound to get lonely and spend many days alone if not third wheeling. You can take this time to focus on yourself by signing up for a workout class or trying out new recipes. Also, you can take this time to figure out what you would want in a relationship instead of focusing on the things you are missing out on.

Just because you are not partaking in couples activities doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. You might grow self-conscious and lose confidence in yourself thinking you are not pretty enough or interesting. Some people go as far as changing their dressing codes and even adopting new habits in the hope of fitting in. However being single doesn’t mean you are unworthy, it is only temporary as you wait for the right person to come your way. Your friend might be having a head start but it doesn’t mean your life has stalled.

While you might be feeling jealous of your friends perfect love life, hating on their cute photos on social media always, remember that they will only show you what they want you to see. No matter how perfect a relationship may seem, every relationship has its ups and downs and couples argue every now and then. While the grass may seem greener on the other side, your friend might just be in a relationship you wouldn’t be able to handle. Focus on finding the right partner or making your relationship more conducive and stop comparing your life to the people around you.

It’s easy to put blame on the people around you for you sadness and loneliness because you feel sidelined but remember you would do the same if you were in a relationship. Your friends would not hurt you intentionally by cancelling plans or ignoring your messages so when these things happen do not take it personally. Your friends didn’t get into relationships so you can feel isolated or sad, it’s just a fact that things cannot remain the same once they start dating. The best thing you can do is be happy for them and appreciate the little time they sacrifice to be with you.

Since you are likely to feel lonely especially on weekends when you usually hang out with your friends, it would be best to start making plans minus your friends. Plan a weekend watching your favourite movies, you could start writing a blog on your favourite topics, join a book club or get yourself a pet. When you keep yourself busy, time will move much faster and you are less likely to feel lonely or recent your friends for getting into relationships.