Imagine your reaction if your colleague got the promotion you were vying for. Consider what you would think if you were overlooked for an opportunity a coworker received. Think of how you’d feel if your firm was awarded an exciting contract, but you weren’t selected for the project team.

That sensation is jealousy.

Workplace jealousy is a natural emotion. It often results when you have a hope or expectation that doesn’t get fulfilled. This missed opportunity can make you feel envious or, when taken to the extreme, threatened, especially when someone else is awarded the experience you were seeking.

On a basic level, not all jealousy is bad. Experiencing less-than-best emotions when things don’t go your way is normal and, sometimes, useful. A hint of workplace jealousy often implies you’re invested in your career and have high expectations for yourself. When you sense jealousy, you can use the emotion to reflect on how you can grow from the experience.

However, the emotion of jealousy can turn toxic quickly if it’s not recognized and processed.

Jealousy, left unchecked, can lead to many self-sabotaging behaviors, such as being overly suspicious, having a lack of trust in yourself and in others, and constantly feeling betrayed. When professionals manifest these emotions in their work environment, they can quickly kill morale and harm the overall company culture.

Everyone plays a role in ensuring a healthy climate at work. Being able to transform any hint of jealousy you feel into more productive emotions not only helps you contribute to a more positive work environment, but also sets the right example for your colleagues to follow. So that individual success—regardless of who is experiencing it—is celebrated, promoted, and congratulated.

Here are five ways to transform workplace jealousy into more productive emotions:

1. GET CURIOUS WITH YOUR EMOTIONS

When you sense that you are feeling jealous, rather than act on the emotion blindly, start by labeling the feeling. Labeling is a powerful tool that allows you to loosen the grip a reaction can have on you and start to de-escalate the stress you may feel. Being able to say to yourself, I feel jealous, allows you to begin the process of reconciling that emotion. Part of reconciliation is avoiding judging yourself for feeling what you feel. Instead, focus on accepting your emotions and being open to the process of working them out.

2. UNDERSTAND ALL YOUR EMOTIONS

As you work to reconcile your emotions, take time to imagine what else you might be feeling that lead you to feel jealous. As an example, ask yourself, Am I just jealous of this individual? Or are there other emotions I have for them?

By seeking this perspective, you might discover that you admire the individual, respect them and their talents, and hold them in great regard. By appreciating someone else, you can focus on their positive qualities, which can help you acknowledge that though you’re jealous, there are other, more productive, feelings you also have for them. What’s more, with a bit of reflection, you may find that these emotions have less to do with your coworker and much more to do with your current personal situation or a need for change within your own workday to gain confidence.

3. CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN

Work to be accountable for how you feel and, more importantly, what you can do about your situation. While you can’t control the situation or the other person, you can control your attitude and behavior. Realizing this can help you understand where you should be spending your time, energy, and efforts. Write down a list of things that are within your control that could help you deal with the situation and ensure that this scenario isn’t repeated.

4. BE EMPATHETIC OF THE OTHER PERSON

While it’s easy to linger on how you feel about someone, especially when they were granted an experience over you, challenge yourself to be empathetic to their story. Spend time thinking about the situation from their point of view and how you might feel if you were in their shoes. Appreciate them and their talents and work to understand that their success isn’t a statement about your success. Try also to understand that they’re not in competition with you, just as you shouldn’t be in competition with them.

5. CELEBRATE THE OTHER PERSON

As hard as it might be to go there initially, work to understand how you can celebrate the person you are jealous of. Push yourself to celebrate them publicly. A tangible expression of sincere congratulations sets the course for a positive relationship going forward. Consider how you feel when your successes are acknowledged by colleagues and how this builds rapport.

Taking the high road when it comes to emotions isn’t the easiest journey. In fact, cultivating positive emotions from a place of disappointment can feel like a full-time job! However, it is by far the most rewarding journey because you’ll be able to shine light on the best parts of yourself, work to bring out the best parts of others, and create a team culture that celebrates each other’s successes.