Handling Peer Pressure Effectively

At some points in your life, you will agree with me that your friends and peers have influenced your actions and made you to do what you normally would not have done - that is peer pressure. It its technicality, peer pressure can be subcategorized into two: Negative peer pressure and positive peer pressure. The former makes you to tilt toward negativities and do things that are regrettable, while the latter tilts you towards positivities and makes you to give expression to the best in you. However, we shall be dwelling more on how to deal with the negative peer pressure because that is where the bulk of the problem lies.

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1. Examine the intention of the person and know if it falls in line with your conscience

The truth is that everyone is born with a free gift of conscience and this is what tells you when you are doing the right thing and when you are doing the wrong thing. You will agree with me that everyone knows if what they are doing is right or not, that is the work of the conscience. So each time someone, maybe your peers, want to make you to do what is not right to your conscience, you have to stand up against it. Do not feel that you can flow along with them and later undo what you have done. The easiest way to prevent yourself from correcting a wrong action is not to undertake the wrong action in the first place.

Any friend that consistently and constantly makes you to go against your wish and against your conscience to do what is not right is not helping you and you must keep off from them. The truth is that it is not a must to be friends with a particular person. As long as you do not make them enemies, then you are not mandated to make them friends. Obviously, friendship and acquaintances are products of choice, and if you feel you are not getting on with a particular friendship, then it is in your best interest to cut off from them.

2. Learn to say "no" and know when to say "no"

A simple "no" you say today may be what will save you from troubles tomorrow. You have to know when to disagree with peer pressures especially when they are trying to make you undertake actions that are against your conscience. You do not need to explain your "no" before you say it. As a matter of fact, one of the signs of maturity is to know when to disagree with someone's point of view and know when to agree. If you are meant to say "no," then say it without feeling the need to explain yourself. A friend one's shared with me how one of her friends have been pressuring her to follow him to a clubbing event which is against her will.

At that point, I told her that if it is against her will, then she should learn to say "no." Well, she tried it and when we saw again, she was explaining that it worked and she was not pressured again. You need to know that you have a responsibility to live your life, and the outcome of your life is dependent on the actions you undertake, so learn to live well. If someone is not going to the same destination with you, then it is unwise to follow them to their own destination, otherwise you will be stranded. Always remember that your life is entirely different from someone else's own, so do not allow their lifestyle to put you under pressure.

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3. Talk to someone about it

There are times when you will need the advise or guidance of someone higher than you: like your parents, mentors, trusted adult, etc, so you will reason with them about the situation at hand. They have extensive experience about life and they can guide you on better ways to handle peer pressure. There is a proverb in the this part of the world that says:

What an elder sees while they are sitting down, even if a child climbs the highest mountain, they will not see it.

Most of what you are passing through, they already passed through similar things so they can proffer solutions to it. Obviously, one thing that you cannot take away from an elder is experience. You can leverage on their own experiences to better handle the peer pressure - especially the one that is negatively inclined. More so, even when you do not know how to say a "no." They can help re-echo your "no" for emphasis.

Thanks for reading