4 ways to cope with peer pressure

If you’re being mocked, belittled, shamed or criticized, you need to rethink your friendships. So give yourself permission to avoid people who don’t treat you the way real friends do. By using your head and choosing your friends carefully, you can steer clear of peer pressure. Teach your child how to say no, help them develop the skills to think independently, and encourage self-confidence.

• You have to be sure that your gut feeling will never lie to you!
• Role playing can feel like too much pressure to some young people.
• Sometimes, that person might have gone through similar situations.
• Instead of being upset over what’s happening, put that pressure into work and use it to do better.

But some peer pressure can be helpful, such as the kind that comes from being around motivated students. That’s the kind of pressure that can result in better grades. Also, competitive pressure from athletics can improve direct peer pressure performance. So, it’s important to recognize that some peer pressure can have a positive influence on your child. Indirect negative peer pressure is subtle but still powerful enough to influence your decisions.

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New students may feel pressure to conform to fit in or be accepted, so as not to feel awkward or uncomfortable. When people are unsure of what to do in a social situation, they naturally look to others for cues about what is and isn’t acceptable. The inclination to participate in a reckless or dangerous activity because your friends do can be very harmful.

CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. By Amy Morin, LCSW

Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She’s also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.

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Helping a teen understand and see for themselves why saying “No” to drugs or alcohol is in their best interest will empower them to say “No” when faced with peer pressure. If others try to pressure you in one way or another and try to get involved, decisions can be even more difficult. Your peers are others of your own age, similar to https://ecosoberhouse.com/ your classmates. Whenever someone tries to influence how you behave, to get you to act in a certain way, it is said that they are using peer pressure. It’s nice to be part of a group, because it shows we’re liked and respected by our peers. But if you feel pressured to fit in, you may be tempted to do things you normally wouldn’t do.

Teens should never feel the pressure to say yes when their gut tells them no. Having the ability to say no and mean it might even be lifesaving. Not so easy when teens feel their peer relationships may be at stake. We tend to hear more about the potentially negative effects of peer pressure. For instance, two friends might put positive pressure on each other to go to the gym together and stay accountable for their fitness goals.

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This attitude can help you stay unique or different among the others in the workplace. Positive peer pressure is when someone’s peers encourage them to do something positive or push them to grow in a beneficial way. It is more than okay to say “no” without giving an explanation or apologising, but it could be easier to decline something when you already have a reason. A medical reason, like an allergy that makes it dangerous for you to do something, could be used. You can even just use the good old “my parents need me home” if you feel it would be best to leave the situation altogether.

• Often, peers are thought of as friends, but peers can be anyone of a similar status, such as people who are the same age, who have the same abilities, or who share a social status.
• That being said, most peer pressure is less easy to spot.
• Teach your child how to say no, help them develop the skills to think independently, and encourage self-confidence.
• You can also positively peer pressure others by the way you respond to situations.
• When you are in a new environment, you feel more inclined to change yourself or your behaviors in order to feel a sense of belonging.

Finally, peer pressure can be described as either positive or negative. Positive peer pressure is when a person is influenced by others to engage in a beneficial or productive behavior. Positive peer pressure will almost always push a person to discover their capabilities and strengths. On the other hand, negative peer pressure can lead to habits that are both cyclical and damaging.