It’s a rare person that never struggles with jealousy. In the age of social media where all you see is everyone’s highlight reels. You see everyone’s vacations, gestures by their special someones, lavish purchases, etc. But it’s not just material things. Maybe it’s the friend who got pregnant first, has good relationships with their family, has more friendships, etc. There’s so many different things that others have that we don’t that can make us feel envious.

I know for me when I scroll through Instagram it can be so easy to fall into the trap of being jealous. You see a fabulous snapshot of people’s lives and you wish your life was a little bit different. That gorgeous house, that happy baby, that thinner body, that endless wardrobe. There have been times where I can feel totally content with my life but then a quick scroll has me thinking otherwise.

So how do you cope? How do you not let jealousy rob you of the great things you do have going on in your life? I’ve been trying two different things lately and they both have really helped me.

It’s just a highlight reel

The first thing I have to remind myself is that whatever I see online is just a highlight reel. People get to decide what they share online and how they share it. More times that not, it looks a lot better online than it does in real life. You have no idea what is going on outside of that square frame. The struggles, the lows they have faced. Everyone is going through something – that’s just how life is.

When I’m envious of someone’s life online I try and remind myself there are things in my life that they might wish they had. So instead, I try to just be grateful for what I do have. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t always easy. But the grass isn’t always greener and it’s not always easier being someone else. Take myself for instance. You might have thought I was having a fabulous day drinking coffee and shopping when in reality my car was broken down on the side of the road. You just don’t ever know! Practicing gratefulness is always a great way to combat envy.

Put yourself in their shoes

This is something newer I’ve been trying – literally just this week! As you may know, it’s currently New York Fashion Week so all of the bigger bloggers have descended on New York for fashion and fun. I remember previous years being so envious of their adventures. I wanted to be doing what they were doing and I let it effect how I felt about my own life. Being a newbie blogger I was mindful of how I was going to feel this week and was on the lookout for jealous feelings.

But then something happened. I was scrolling through photos and stories and didn’t feel jealous at all. I was like what is going on?! What I realized is that I was putting myself in their shoes. Being a blogger now too, I realized how hard they worked to get there. They deserved to be there having the time of their lives. I was happy for them! Excited for them! By knowing how I would feel if it were me, it made it so easy for me to celebrate them. Just putting yourself in someone’s shoes can go a long way in helping relieve jealousy.

I hope these tips help! How do you cope with jealousy? Let me know in the comments!