Week 4 of the #LoveLikeThis series is here! This week we are talking about jealousy. Our friends at @wscadv made this image to show us healthy ways to deal with jealousy. Did you know the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a TON of cool resources on their website? Check them out www.wscadv.org

Tip 1: Talk About It. We’ve noticed in our SAIF Education program that everyone seems to have a different opinion on jealousy. Whatever your thoughts on jealousy are, it’s important you talk about your feelings with your partner. Think to yourself: When do I feel most jealous? When was the last time my partner and I have talked about our boundaries? You should always communicate your feelings with your partner.

Tip 2: People Aren’t Possessions! I know, I know… this sounds silly but sometimes we can get confused about what is ours. We’ve heard from youth that their partner’s jealousy shows how much they care. There a ton of healthy ways to show our partner we care about them – possessiveness isn’t one of them. Maybe try flowers! A relationship is a partnership; we don’t own our partners.

Tip 3: Personal Space. Remember when we were taught about personal bubbles way back in kindergarten? We need to respect our partner’s bubbles, including time & cyber boundaries. It is not okay to stalk or constantly be checking up on our partners. Trust is everything, either you trust your partner (& yourself) or you don’t. If you feel there is a lack of trust, talk to your partner about it & try to come up with a solution together.

Tip 4: Got Trust? What does it feel like to trust and be trusted? Think about that for a second. If your relationship doesn’t have trust, what do you have? So if you want it to work out, you have to put in some work. Think about what don’t you trust your partner. Did something happen? Is it an issue that could be fixed? Be sure to communicate calmly with your partner. If you don’t think you two can rebuild trust, maybe this isn’t a healthy relationship to be in.

Tip 5: Today’s tip is about something no one ever wants to talk about… Cheating! You can’t control other people’s actions but you can control YOUR reactions & how you will let others treat you. If someone is treating you poorly or their actions make you feel uncomfortable, you can decide if this is the type of relationship you want to be in.

Tip 6: Don’t play the blame game! Avoid accusing your partner of anything. If you think there is an issue, it’s important that you CALMLY bring it up and reinforce your boundaries. You don’t want to make wild accusations & add more hurt in the mix. Each partner needs to respect each other at all times.

Thanks again for reading! Stay tuned for Week 5: Fighting Fair