It’s common to want to fit in and feel like you belong to a group, and most people experience this occasionally, especially as teens and young adults. Peer pressure, the notion that you must act in a certain way in order to blend in, be liked, or be respected, can be difficult to manage.
While peer pressure can occasionally be beneficial, it can also lead you to make decisions you may not be sure about or even actions you may not truly believe are good for you. It might be difficult to deal with this pressure, but it’s crucial to consider your own values and interests and base decisions there rather than on social pressure.
It could seem simple at times to know where you stand and make decisions accordingly, but other times, you might feel perplexed, under pressure, or inclined to go against your better judgment.
To create your own identity and experience new things, you can even feel the want to do activities that your family either doesn’t do or doesn’t think are acceptable. It’s a good idea to attempt to anticipate the outcomes of a decision.
It is imperative that when you find yourself in a situation where you do anything out of a feeling of uneasiness or unwillingness but solely because of pleasing the people around you or wanting to be a part of a group then you must take a step back and give yourself the time to consider a few important thoughts.
Let us begin to understand what these thoughts are.
- Recognize unhealthy dynamics: It’s not acceptable for somebody to coerce, manipulate, or push you into doing things that you don’t want to do or to threaten you if you don’t. Others should not make fun of, belittle, shame, or criticize you for your decisions. You can either opt to avoid spending time with persons who act in these ways or request that they cease doing them.
- Give yourself permission to avoid individuals or settings that don’t feel right and to leave an uncomfortable situation. Practice establishing limits. You are free to act in your own best interests.
- When pressure-producing people or circumstances are unavoidable, try the “delay tactic”: Give yourself time to consider your choice rather than responding right away.
- If you require assistance, speak with your parents or another trustworthy family member, a member of the clergy, a mentor, or a counselor.
- Nobody wants to be the odd one out or give the impression that they are criticizing their friends’ decisions. You could always cope in a situation like this by providing an alternative way out. For instance, you could choose to say something like, “I have a medical appointment.” when you want to evade meeting a certain group of people. This tactic is often recommended for those who hesitate in being assertive while refusing to be a part of something.
- It is good to remind yourself that you are responsible for the decisions you make and to own up to those decisions. You must determine what you value, not what your buddies value.
- Do not be afraid to make new friends at any age. If the particular set of friends is not encouraging you to grow, be happier and be a better version of yourself then there is no harm or shame in moving on because you will always find a group of people that are like-minded and who would carry a positive influence in your life.
- Something that most are not taught is that it is completely alright to be alone until you can genuinely trust your friends’ circle to have fun, encourage and support each other and not in a superficial way but in an authentic and meaningful. That being said, do not force yourself to do something just because you fear being alone or without friends.
- Most importantly, trust your gut and learn to follow your intuition. What makes sense to your peer or what seems right to your peer may not necessarily be the right thing for you. Only you understand who you truly are and what things are cut out for you and what is not. Choose wisely. The decisions you make in the present become your future.
Conclusion
In any age group, it is easy to at times sway and fall prey to allowing our values and principles to take a backseat and saying yes to those whom we feel we are obligated to please. Those who truly must be treasured in your life would never put you in this position in the first place.
Your peers are meant to respect you for who you are and your decisions. The points discussed above will hopefully help you tackle a situation where you are under the negative influence of peer pressure.
However, every coin has two sides and so does peer pressure. The Positive kind is when your peers motivate you to achieve bigger things and be a better version of yourself. It is always good to be in this type of crowd.
Lastly, always remember that no one can make you feel inferior or ashamed for what you stand for unless you give them permission to.
