So while it’s possible to use envy as the proverbial kick you need to achieve your own goal, be it to travel more or save up for a deposit on a flat, it also has the potential to inspire some pretty poor behaviour – and zero good can come from that. “None of us are perfect and in our least refined moments sometimes we might find ourselves doing or saying things to try to minimise somebody else’s successes,” acknowledges Sarah, who advises us to instead make note of the emotion and move on. “Say ‘OK, this is a useful social emotion that I’m having and it’s useful for me to make note of the fact that I’m not doing as well as I think I should be doing',” she says. “But rather than feeling badly about this other person – which is part of knee-jerk impulse – we can put ourselves into a position of power by recognising it and turning it into something useful instead of something destructive.”