Jealousy Issue

Hi everyone,

I just have a question on what the best way to deal with jealousy would be. I've been in a long distance relationship for almost a year now, and I love my boyfriend very much, although the relationship is still pretty young. However, lately I've had problems dealing with jealousy. Recently my boyfriend has befriended a very outgoing and interesting girl, who is transgender, and her good friend. I know there's no reason for me to be jealous, and that I should trust him just as much as he's trusted me in the past whenever I've gone out with friends and such. But whenever I'm not in contact with him directly (which is pretty often since I'm studying abroad at the moment) I drive myself crazy with thoughts of him cheating or developing feelings for one of these girls. However, he's assured me numerous times that there's no reason for me to be worried, and that he would never leave me. I think it's important to add that he's been having trouble making friends lately, so I really don't want to make him feel like he shouldn't be able to hang out with these people, because I want him to be happy.

I'm pretty sure my jealousy is stemming from self-confidence issues, and I really want to work on these so that this doesn't hurt the relationship. I've recently pondered taking a break from the relationship to spend some time on myself and work on my self-confidence. I don't want to keep getting jealous and pestering him until his patience runs out. He's expressed that he doesn't want a break and that he thinks it would only hurt the relationship more. Although the thought of a break is pretty painful, and I don't think I can function without him, I feel that I need some time to myself to learn to value myself more, and get a better perspective of the relationship. Should I take a break, or is it possible for me to work this out while still in the relationship? If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!