It is a common occurrence for pet owners to feel envious of their furry friends. Dogs always seem to be happy, carefree, and effortlessly lovable.

Humans, on the other hand, often struggle with negative thoughts, stress and other challenges that our four-legged counterparts can easily brush off. To avoid falling into this trap of envy, here are three helpful strategies to help you overcome envy of your dog.

Strategy One: Consider the Gift of Their Presence

When you find yourself envying your dog’s natural talents, it’s helpful to remember that these same qualities could easily be what make it so easy to love them.

Your dog may be carefree because they don’t have a complex human brain, but they are always present in the moment and give their love unconditionally. You can take that lesson and make it your own.

Try to focus on the present moment as your dog does. Paying attention to your environment, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day, can help you feel more connected and less envious of your dog’s natural talents.

Fill your days with activities that make you happy and bring you purpose. Seek out opportunities to connect with people, spend time in nature or explore your passions. The more you fill your time with positive activities, the less space there will be for envy to take root.

Strategy Two: Practice Gratitude Journaling

A gratitude journal is a tool that can help you focus on the good things in your life and take stock of the blessings you have.

If you are feeling envious of your dog’s life, it may be helpful to write down the things you are grateful for each day. You could include things like your health, the support of friends and family, or personal achievements.

Whenever you feel the urge to compare yourself to your dog, pull out your gratitude journal and remind yourself of all the good things in your own life.

Gratitude journaling can be a helpful way to retrain your brain to focus on the positive. By writing down the things you are grateful for each day, you are building neural pathways that prioritize positive feelings over negative ones, like envy.

This can help you feel happier and more content with your life, and it can help you avoid feeling as though you are missing out on something your dog has.

Strategy Three: Embrace Your Human Experience

It’s important to remember that your dog’s life is not the same as yours.

While they may bring joy and comfort in ways that you can’t always match, they also don’t have the capacity to experience certain emotions or situations as humans do. When you find yourself envying your dog’s life, it may be helpful to remember your own unique human experience.

Take pride in the things that make you uniquely human, like your intelligence, your creativity, or your ability to form deep and meaningful relationships with other humans.

Remember that your ability to experience a wide range of emotions, both good and bad, is what makes you human. Embrace this aspect of your life experience and use it to your advantage.

Conclusion

Envy is a natural emotion, but it’s important not to let it take over your life. By practicing gratitude, embracing your human experience and focusing on the present moment, you can learn to appreciate your life just as it is.

Your dog may have qualities that you envy, but remember that you have much to be grateful for in your own life, too.