How to stop feeling jealous?

[Lilostitcher]

I spent this morning with a long standing friend (over 30yrs) and she is lovely but her life just makes me so jealous.
High earning husband, not worked since having DC, DC all at private schools etc. They are moving house (to a house I could only dream of owning) and she was excitedly telling me all about it.

I hate myself for feeling jealous. My life is not at all bad, UGH, why do I feel like this?
Any tips on turning this feeling off?

Comparison is the thief of joy.

There will always be someone who has more, does more, experiences more, and it can be so easy to spend so much time comparing and feeling resentful of what you don't have that you forget to feel appreciative of what you do have.

My saying for anything like this is cheesy but true comparison is the thief of joy . It can be tough but you only see the surface and that surface looks amazing ,sounds amazing but the truth is you never really know what's going on in someone else's life people tend to only tell you the nice bits even long term friends. I learned long ago to be happy with what I am and what I have . Someone may well be looking at your life and think your life is amazing compared to theirs .

I would never be jealous of anyone who doesn't work and relies on a man for money. I've done that in the past and ended up with nothing.

Focus on trying to be happy in your own skin. You could have everything in the world that you can think of, but if you aren't happy inside then it means very little.
Where as if you're happy in your own skin, you could own next to nothing and still be happier than those with everything.
Learn to be grateful for what you do have

I always try and remind myself there are lots of people in this world who would be jealous of me. I have a nice little house, a healthy child, and a job. Freedom, fresh air and food on the table. Many don't have those things. Stop comparing your lives, someone will always have more than you just as someone will always have less.

Yes, you are of course right.

I have plenty. More than enough.

Just hard when I am ploughing through 2hrs of ironing and nagging my son to do his homework (she sends out her ironing, of course, and her son is a genius who loves school) before starting back on the school/ work/chores/ bed treadmill tomorrow.

I find the best way to deal with it is to be honest with myself and admit my jealousy. Not to my friend or anything, but just to say to myself "I wish I had that", take a few minutes to imagine a fantasy life where I did have that in the same way you might when you read about someone winning Euro millions or suchlike, and then think "Oh well" and get on with my own life. Acknowledging it instead of fighting it seems to take the sting out of it.

Also sometimes being honest that you are envious of something can help you recognise something you want to change or achieve in your own life.

I personally don't think envy or jealousy are bad emotions in their own right. It's when those thoughts cause you to do or think negative things or stop you from seeing what's good in your own life that they are toxic.