Happiness | Relationships

How to Be Happy for Others (Even if It’s Hard to Do)

When something exciting happens to a friend, you want to be excited for them. However, it can sometimes feel challenging to be happy for others. 

You can care about someone and still have negative thoughts when they share the good news. 

Let’s understand why this happens and go over some tips on how to feel happy for someone else’s success.

Why Can’t I Be Happy for Others?

It’s easy to feel like you’re a terrible person for not being happy for others’ success. But don’t worry – it’s much more common than you think. 

You’re not the only person who starts to think about their issues when someone shares something positive. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparison and jealousy!

When you hear about someone’s success, your mind often jumps to tell you that you aren’t doing as well in that area of your life. 

It can be tough to express happiness for your friend’s promotion when you’re dealing with your job stress. If your best friend shares that she’s pregnant, your first thought might be about your struggles with infertility. 

Having these feelings is perfectly normal, and they don’t make you a selfish person. It just means that you need to work a little harder to step outside yourself and be happy for someone else.

man and woman talking while drinking coffee

Remember – struggling with this does not reflect how you feel about your friend’s success! There are many ways you can be a better friend. But struggling with jealousy and negative emotions is not the mark of a bad friend – it’s normal! 

It’s also important to remember that you aren’t going to be happy all of the time. Negative emotions are a part of life, and learning to coexist with them is crucial. Consider exploring happiness hacks as a strategy to better manage your emotional responses and develop a more resilient and positive mindset.

Why It’s Important to Be Happy for Others

Learning to be happy for others can be challenging, but it is essential. You want to be able to take part in the exciting moments in your friends’ lives. 

This means that you need to celebrate the successes of your loved ones. When you care about someone, you care about their wins, and it’s important to show that in your actions. 

Celebrating milestones is important in healthy relationships! Being a good friend to someone means their happiness should be yours. And it can be! 

Another reason to be happy for others is that it can help you be happier overall.

Celebrating successful things that happen, even if they don’t happen to you, brings more positivity into your life. 

Learning to find joy in others’ success is also a great way to choose kindness every day. By finding happiness in the achievements of others, you sow seeds of positivity and unity, creating a more compassionate and joyful world for you and those around you.

diverse group of friends laughing

Be Happy for Others: 6 Tips

Now that we understand the importance of being happy for others let’s look at some ways to implement this into your daily life.

Allow Yourself to Feel Negative Emotions

While it is important to be happy for others, that doesn’t mean that you can’t also feel other things. Being happy for a family member or friend doesn’t mean you have to put aside all of your other emotions.

Don’t feel guilty about how you’re feeling. Give yourself space to feel your emotions. You can be happy for others while also feeling sad for yourself.

Human beings are complex! We’re capable of feeling many emotions simultaneously, even conflicting ones. Your feelings about yourself don’t have to erase feelings of happiness for your friend.

Take time to process how the situation makes you feel. Your feelings are also important, and happiness for others shouldn’t mean pushing your difficult emotions aside.

woman looking at the sunrise

Look at Issues in Your Own Life

Jealousy can be revealing – it can serve as a powerful tool for introspection and growth. When we compare our own lives to other people’s, it says more about how we feel about ourselves – our perceptions and insecurities – than the actual situation. 

If your friend’s success brings up a bad feeling, look at where that feeling is coming from. Could you work on things in your life to boost your mood or spur personal development? 

If you are having persistent issues with feeling sad and unable to find joy in other people’s successes, it might indicate deeper, unresolved issues. Seeking the help of a professional could provide the guidance necessary to navigate these challenges.

Meanwhile, leveraging technology designed to enhance well-being, such as the best apps for happiness, can offer immediate strategies to inject more positivity into your daily routine. These digital tools are not just about temporary relief but can also introduce habits and perspectives that foster long-term happiness and a more appreciative view of your journey and the successes of those around you.

Think about Your Role in Their Success

If your friend’s success makes you feel down about yourself, take a step back and consider how you contributed to that success.

Maybe you helped them practice for an interview or worked on a cover letter with them. 

Even if you didn’t play a direct role in their success, your support as a friend still means a lot. Having you to talk to likely helped your friend get to where they are today! 

Acknowledging your involvement in their achievements, even in the smallest ways, reinforces the idea that success is often a collective effort.

group of people looking at a laptop

Let Go of Competition and Comparison

One of the major obstacles to being happy for others is competition. Maybe you want to achieve what they have achieved and feel jealous. Don’t worry, there are many people in your shoes! 

Great practice in learning to be happy for others is to let go of competition and envy. There are better uses of your mental energy. 

Someone else’s success does not mean that you are not also succeeding. This negative mindset can stop you from being grateful for what you have. 

Shift your mindset—embrace the achievements of others as a source of motivation. Let their triumphs inspire you, serving as a catalyst for personal growth and urging you to evolve into the best version of yourself.

Challenge Negative Thoughts With Positive Affirmations

Incorporating powerful self-love affirmations into your daily routine can be a transformative practice for improving your mindset, especially when you’re wrestling with self-doubt or low self-esteem. By speaking positive statements to yourself, you can significantly elevate your mental state.

Affirmations are a proactive means to challenge negative thoughts. Use them as strategic tools to foster a mindset that empowers you to recognize and celebrate your own progress and achievements. 

For example, if you are experiencing difficulty in feeling joy for a friend’s recent promotion, consciously choose affirmations that illuminate your own diligent efforts and the milestones you’ve achieved in your own career to reinforce your sense of self-worth and recognize your own successes.

Cultivate Gratitude

When you cultivate gratitude, you shift focus from what might be lacking to the abundance surrounding you. This practice encourages you to recognize and appreciate the good in your life, from the smallest joys to the grandest achievements. 

Dedicating time each week, such as on Thankful Thursdays, to this reflection helps reinforce a positive outlook, making you more receptive to the beauty and blessings in everyday moments. It’s a process that gradually reshapes your perception, teaching you to see the world and your place in it with more appreciation and less desire for comparison.

As your mindset shifts, you naturally become more inclined to be genuinely happy for the successes of others. This transformation is profound; gratitude moves you beyond mere acknowledgment of others’ achievements to a place where you can celebrate their joy as if it were your own. 

This ability to share in the happiness of those around you without feeling diminished or envious is the hallmark of a truly grateful heart. It fosters a sense of community and connection, where the successes of others enhance rather than detract from your own sense of fulfillment and joy.

smiling woman sitting against a wall drinking coffee

Final Thoughts

Luckily, there are many steps you can take to help you find joy in others’ success. Reflect on your emotions and their roots. Try to shift to a more positive mindset. Take stock of the things you’re grateful for to put everything into perspective!

Being happy for others might be challenging at times, but it remains a vital gesture of support for your friends and loved ones. Such acts of kindness strengthen bonds, laying the foundation for enduring and mutually enriching relationships.


Dive deeper into a world of well-being, inspiration, and practical tips by exploring the a little dose of happy blog. Your path to enhanced happiness awaits with each click—let’s continue this journey together, one post at a time. 🙂

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