How envy affects health

[Brother]

Pride, greed, envy, lust, anger, laziness, gluttony are well-known human passions. One of the richest people in the world, businessman Warren Buffett considers envy the most useless of the listed sins: “As an investor, you can get at least some benefit from all deadly sins, except envy. Being jealous of someone is stupid. If you are about to sin, think about something like lust or gluttony. So at least you will have something to remember on the weekend."

Good humor and common sense. We, in turn, add that envy is not only stupid, but also harmful to health. This article will tell you about the impact of envy on the human body and how to manage it.

The nature of envy​

Jealousy is a painful emotion caused by the good fortune of others. It occurs when two factors coincide:

1. The desire to own what the other person has. And it's not just about material goods. Often envy arises in relation to people who have influence, respect, are objects of admiration.
2. The area in which the other person has become more successful is important to the envious person. If a girl is passionate about finding a worthy life partner, then she is more likely to envy her friends who have successfully married, and not those who are excellent skiing, for example.

Envy is characteristic of all times and peoples, it is deeply rooted in the human psyche. Our ancestors lived in fear of awakening the envy of the gods, so they appeased them with rituals and offerings. According to the Bible, out of envy, Cain killed Abel and "death entered the world with the envy of the devil." In one of the largest literary works in the world, "Mahabharata", it was from burning envy that a war broke out between cousins, which led to the destruction of the ancient Indian subcontinent.

Most often, envy is experienced by people with a low level of self-worth, unable to recognize both their own successes and the lack of competence, will and determination to achieve better results.

The negative impact of envy on health​

Envy drains the psyche and, as a result, has a detrimental effect on physical health. Let's consider the mechanism of this effect.

Jealousy can lead to feelings of inferiority, which can lead to depression, accompanied by passive aggression and anger towards more fortunate people. Against the background of these toxic emotions, gloating develops, the envious begins to take pleasure when the other person fails. This way of increasing self-esteem is false and leads to internal devastation, apathy.

The companions of envy - frustration, depression, irritation, anger, hatred - begin to destroy physically. The body responds to negative thoughts and feelings as follows:

• Depressive conditions cause intestinal and lung problems, symptoms of which are constipation, low oxygen levels in the blood, and difficulty breathing.
• Irritation affects the skin: hives or other forms of rash may appear, psoriasis and eczema may worsen. When irritated and stressed, the body releases the hormone cortisol, which causes the glands to produce more subcutaneous fat, leading to acne and other skin problems.
• Hate affects heart health and stimulates the development of tachycardia, hypertension and chest pain.
• Anger and frustration have a negative effect on the eyes, gallbladder, and liver. Stagnation in these organs and problems with detoxification may occur, cholesterol may rise, digestion may worsen due to unbalanced bile secretion.

There is evidence that negative emotions have a detrimental effect on the body's immune system. This means that an envious person, who is usually in a bad mood, angry, sad, or stressed, is more likely to get SARS, the flu, or herpes.

Envy also leads to defensive reactions such as sarcasm, contempt, snobbery, and narcissism, with which the envious tries to minimize the existential threat posed by the advantages of others. This leads to the loss of friends and allies, undermining even the closest relationships. The resulting bitterness and melancholy can provoke bodily reactions and manifest as:

• insomnia;
• excessive tiredness;
• weight loss or gain;
• back and neck pain;
• sexual dysfunction.

Beyond that, jealousy literally causes physical pain. This was shown by a scientific experiment, which consisted in the following: the subjects were asked to imagine themselves in a situation where they are faced with more successful, wealthy and influential people and are jealous of them. In this case, the brain scan of the experimental group was carried out . When people were jealous, the brain regions involved in fixing physical pain were activated.

The more the subjects envied, "the more vigorously the pain nodes flared up in the anterior part of the cingulate cortex and related areas." In other words, the brain was actually registering physical pain similar to that experienced by grief-stricken people.

An envious person under stress can become addicted to smoking and alcohol abuse, which ultimately affects physical well-being. Even if a person leads a healthy lifestyle, mood disturbances and negative emotions negate the effects of a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and regular exercise.

Ways to manage envy​

Burning jealousy is an unhealthy emotion, so you need to learn to keep it under control. The first step is to track and acknowledge feelings of jealousy within yourself. It's not as easy as it sounds. Since jealousy is considered a socially unacceptable emotion, many people deny having this feeling both publicly and in private.

Once you've caught yourself getting jealous, try to get it under control with cognitive therapy techniques:

Analysis​

Don't ignore the first stab of jealousy, but don't continue to fuel it either. Think about what is really behind this feeling. Jealousy can tell a lot about what you are missing (for example, rest, harmonious love relationships , a healthy psychological climate at work). When you listen to and analyze feelings of jealousy, you gain a lot of useful information about yourself.

Gratitude​

Yes, you may not own a million dollar oceanfront villa, but you definitely own something to be grateful for. Make a list of these things, even if they seem insignificant. And when you feel jealous, replace every envious thought with gratitude for something good in your life.

Reality check​

When you admire the colorful profiles of celebrities on social media or the financial success of famous businessmen, it's easy to forget that everyone has a public and private life. Everyone strives to show their best side. A person who seems incredibly happy and successful can actually live in constant struggle. Don't trust the public hype. Instead, realize that everyone faces difficulties and you may not know how difficult the experiences of others are.

Focus on your own life​

Use envy as fuel for goal setting. When you are jealous, ask yourself, “What seems so attractive to me in another person’s life?” And then list the steps you can take to achieve similar results. Take a small step every day and you will create a dream life to be proud of.

Helping others​

Accept the fact that there will always be people around you who are more successful than you, and think of those who are deprived of the elementary joys of life. Try volunteering at a senior citizens' home or oncology center. This will help you focus on what you have, rather than what you don't.

Ultimately, we are all responsible for our feelings and must be able to manage them. By learning to deal with jealousy, you will increase your level of emotional maturity and feel inner strength. And if you can't get your negative feelings under control, we are ready to help: the online program "Mental Self-Regulation" will teach you how to cope with stress, apathy, anxiety and fear, ie. manage your mental reactions, including envy.

Can envy be beneficial?​

The great poet and prose writer Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin wrote: "Envy is the sister of competition, consequently from a good family." Indeed, in the Russian tradition, it is customary to paint envy in two colors: black and white. “Black” is evil and destructive envy, “white” is benevolent, it demonstrates joy for the success of another person. Is this division justified, and can envy be beneficial? Let's figure it out.

The main difference between "black" and "white" envy is how a person relates to the subject of envy. If the thought arises: “I envy this person and want to rise to his level,” then we are talking about good envy. Her "dark" sister brings up the thought: "I envy this person and want him to go down to my level or below."

Envy in a black way, a person experiences hostility and resentment, which entails not only the desire to take possession of the desired object, but also to harm the one who possesses it. "White" envy is devoid of ill will, it is based on admiration for the person who has achieved greater success. This admiration can turn into inspiration and motivation for the envious, spurring them to achieve better results in a rational way. It turns out that envy can also be a positive emotion that causes healthy competition and a desire for self-improvement.

Envy is a matter of attitude. When you meet people who are better and more successful in your life, you can react in different ways: with indifference, joy, admiration or envy. Choosing envy, a person condemns himself to stagnation, because he refuses to learn from those who know and understand more than him. A healthy response to other people's achievements provides an opportunity to grow and acquire the desired benefits.

Friends, don't waste precious energy on unproductive feelings. Focus on your life and strive to make it more comfortable, brighter and happier. May success be with you!