Try not to place judgements on other people’s choices; respecting someone else’s choice may help them to respect yours. You don’t have to agree with their actions; focusing on the reasons why you don’t feel happy with a choice might help you to not judge.
Having the strength to say no can be hard, but it can also make you feel good to stick with what you believe in. Explain in a calm way why you don’t want to be part of something, and you might earn respect from others and gain confidence in yourself.
Being with people who like doing similar things may help you avoid a situation where you feel pressured into things you don’t want to do. Hanging with the “cool crowd” won’t be as much fun as it looks if you don’t like the decisions that crowd is making.
Here are some suggestions that can help you manage peer pressure better: value common interests; say no; try not to judge others; take action and stand up for yourself and others.
Being an individual means making decisions based on what is best for you. It means taking ownership and responsibility for what you do and how you think. But being an individual also means that you can be a valued part of a comfortable and welcoming group.
Sometimes the pressure comes from you. Feeling different from a group can be hard. You might do things to make sure you feel like the rest of the group. When people feel unsure about themselves, they might be more likely to feel the effects of peer pressure.
Peer pressure might not always be obvious to you. It’s not uncommon for a group of friends to have particular habits or activities that they do together. But when you’re with a different group of friends, it might be unlikely that you do those same things.
Peer pressure can be as simple and direct as someone telling you what to do. It might be a good idea to talk to someone you trust if you feel threatened, or if you are being hurt or pressured into something you don’t want to do.
Peer pressure can be present at school or within a broader community. It can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. Peer pressure can affect you in a number of different ways: directly, indirectly or pressure from yourself.
Peer pressure might influence you in a number of ways, including: fashion choices; alcohol and drug use; decision to have a boyfriend or girlfriend; choice of who your friends are; academic performance.