Can hypnotherapy help me feel less jealous?

Feelings of jealousy are never pleasant. Who really wants to feel unhappy, angry, or frustrated because of someone else’s relationship, promotion, achievement, or financial situation? It’s easy to think that we can’t help how we feel – but what if we could? What if we could challenge those ingrained gut-reactions and instinctive negative feelings, and learn to channel them into something more positive – both for ourselves, and those around us?

Why do we feel jealous?

Jealousy isn’t a sign of love, or an ‘endearing quirk’ – it’s often a sign that we aren’t happy with ourselves, and can lead to big problems. Research has even linked certain traits to greater feelings of jealousy, including feelings of insecurity, possessiveness, and neuroticism (a tendency to be more anxious, moody, and emotionally unstable).

According to a 2005 study, jealousy can be linked with both aggression and low self-esteem. Those who feel lonely or have a poor perception of themselves were found to be more likely to feel threatened by their peers which, in turn, can lead to aggressive behaviour. 

The study, which specifically looked at 10-15-year-olds, evaluated self and peer-reported jealousy to gain a better understanding of their vulnerability to jealousy. Findings revealed that both self and peer-reported jealousy seemed to contribute to individuals experience of loneliness, whilst those with lower reported feelings of self-worth were the most vulnerable to expressing or feeling jealousy. 

Of those who displayed signs of jealousy, both physical and passive signs of aggression were shown, ranging from pushing to ignoring those they felt angry with. Overall, girls were found to display more symptoms of jealousy than boys which researchers attributed to their higher expectations of kindness, loyalty, commitment, and empathy from those they considered friends. 

While it can be normal and completely healthy to experience a level of jealousy in our romantic or platonic relationships, too much, as well as how we express that jealousy can be problematic. For example, if we see someone flirting with our partner or vice versa, it’s only natural to feel defensive, jealous, or possessive. It’s when we don’t handle those feelings in a healthy way – for ourselves and our relationships – by talking about how we feel or why it might not be appropriate, that we risk hurt feelings festering and further problems intensifying. 

Similarly, if we are having a tough time and a friend or loved one is caught up in their own success – perhaps they got a promotion or a raise, or have booked an amazing vacation – and doesn’t seem to take on board how we are feeling, it can be perfectly natural to feel jealous or upset. Yet if we fail to step back and consider both sides – perhaps they are just excited and are unaware that you are having a rough time, or from their perspective they want to share the good news with those who mean the most to them – we can get caught up in a negative cycle that unintentionally risks damaging our relationships.

The good news is that no matter why you’re jealous, there are things you can do to help decrease these feelings. Working on yourself – your confidence, your communication skills, how you recognise and manage your emotions – can all help you to get a handle on how you’re feeling before jealousy, envy, and the inevitable sense of shame can begin affecting other areas of your life.

How can hypnotherapy help me feel less jealous?

Hypnotherapy can help relieve symptoms of anxiety, as well as tackling issues around low confidence and low self-esteem. Working with a hypnotherapist can also help you to better understand how you are feeling, why you feel this way, supporting you to make positive changes to help overcome relationship or personal issues. 

“Nothing good ever comes from jealousy and worse, the feelings can evolve into an obsession that affects your health and well-being.” Hypnotherapist Biodun explains. “If you do not rid yourself of these feelings, it can cause undo harm to your health, ranging from depression, illness and cardiovascular issues. Your mental state will be negatively affected to the point where your judgement may not be as trustworthy as it should.

There are simple, effective methods for recognising and treating feelings of jealousy that provide quick relief. Hypnosis is one of the best, thanks to being able to reach into the mind and deal with the feelings at their source

– Hypnotherapist Biodun discusses hypnotherapy for jealousy.

“Fortunately, there are simple, effective methods for recognising and treating feelings of jealousy that provide quick relief. Hypnosis is one of the best, thanks to being able to reach into the mind and deal with the feelings at their source.”

But how can hypnosis help? Biodun explains. “Hypnosis reaches into the mind through the power of suggestion, to turn the feelings of jealousy into something that can be dealt with more easily. Using proven techniques, such feelings are recognised and diminished simply by reorienting the mind so that they become something else. Thus, those who had experienced jealousy when it was triggered in certain situations or the presence of people now feel calm and relaxed instead.”

By bypassing your conscious mind, a hypnotherapist can work with your unconscious mind, helping change your mindset from within. “Firstly, the hypnotherapist will ask how the person would rather feel and ask how the present emotion is impacting on their daily life. Hypnotic suggestions enable the person to go into a trance-like state allowing their mind to be open to positive suggestions which can influence their future emotions and behaviours.

“The person will then find their mindset has changed and those feelings of envy will disappear, allowing them to show genuine pleasure at their friends and family’s successes.”

Self-hypnosis techniques can also have a positive effect when it comes to overcoming the negativity of jealousy. Many professional hypnotherapists can teach you self-hypnosis techniques to reinforce the ideas and positive suggestions introduced during hypnotherapy, to help you continue to strengthen these new thought processes and ways of handling how you are feeling. 

Getting support

Ready to reach out and make positive changes, or interested in finding out more about how hypnotherapy can help you? Discover more about hypnotherapy for low self-esteem and find out how working with a hypnotherapist can help with common relationship issues. 

To find an experienced, qualified hypnotherapist who offers in-person, online, or telephone support, use our advanced search to find the right hypnotherapist for you. Or if you are worried that jealousy may be seriously affecting a current relationship and you need someone to talk to, working with a counsellor can offer an outside, impartial person to explore your how you are feeling. For more information on talking therapies for relationship issues, visit Counselling Directory.