Peer Pressure

Everyone has to deal with some degree of peer pressure. IT"S GOING TO HAPPEN -- it's everywhere. You can think you're above it, you have it all together, or that no one can pressure you, but eventually at some point IT WILL.

Whether it's pressure to wear certain clothes (styles), be with a certain clique, or pressure to have sex, do drugs/alcohol, or turning your back on a certain person, everyone is going to face peer pressure.

However, peer pressure depends greatly on how you feel about yourself and your position in life.

The degree of peer pressure depends on how you feel about yourself. The following tends to attract more peer pressure:

Overcoming Peer Pressure

Prepare yourself ahead of time for uncomfortable situations, mentally script out the reaction you WANT to have in a given situation (the reation that goes AGAINST peer pressure) and play that script out in your head over and over again.

Stand your ground on issues like sex, drugs and alcohol and do not let anyone change your mind.

Your reputation and self respect means more than anything a person can offer you. Once it's been damaged it is VERY hard to get it back.

Do not allow yourself to seek comfort in making other people feel bad or sad, flatly refuse to take part in anything designed to cause harm or distress to another person and speak up when/if such a situation arises. You do not have to be angry or confrontational, a comment like "lets not bother with this" or "why do we need to do this" is usually enough to inspire others who are uncomfortable to stand up and be counted.

Be a LEADER not a follower! The more you see yourself in a leadership role the more comfortable you will feel asserting your own opinions and feelings.

Refuse to let yourself down! Often when we give in to peer pressure it hurts already fragile self esteem creating a vicious circle. If you think of giving in to peer pressure as letting yourself down it becomes easier to combat and your confidence will earn you respect.

Bad situations can cause a person to act in a certain way that later on you'll regret. Remember, you cannot rewind life or erase what you do. Once it's done, it's done and you'll have to live with it. If you are not comfortable with those choices or if you give in and do something that is against your character or values you will feel regret.

Your friends may get upset when you speak up against the group but that first reaction will pass and you will likely find that you were not so alone in your feelings and that others will admire you for doing what you felt was right.

Peer pressure only works if you let it, if you refuse to let it intimidate you it loses its power.