How to overcome peer pressure and be yourself

The influence of trends in our society can pressure individuals to change their personalities and values to avoid negative labels and fit in.

Photo by RODNAE Productions

However, resisting this pressure requires innate confidence, which cannot be achieved through self-affirmations alone. Here are six effective ways to build confidence and manage peer pressure:

1. Have a wide variety of acquaintances

Expand your social circle to include diverse relationships that expose you to a wider range of human behavior. This broadens your horizon and diminishes the peer pressure to conform to a particular way of life. So go out, join a football team, join a chess club. Interact with people who share similar interests with YOU, not people who share similar interests with YOUR PEERS.

2. Speak for yourself

Assert your opinions and values using "I" statements instead of convincing others to change their views. It's okay to have a different plan, and it's okay for someone to have a different idea. Instead of trying to convince others to change their views, use "I" statements to assert your own opinions and values.

3. Avoid over-explaining yourself

Not everyone will understand you, and that's okay. Avoid over-explaining yourself in confrontational situations, especially when you sense the other person is committed to misunderstanding you.

4. Take charge of conversations

If you struggle with holding a conversation, ask questions. He who asks the questions directs the course of the conversation. Rather than evading their questions completely, ask your peers questions and listen well. The idea is to lure your listener into doing the explanations. You don't need to rehearse questions; just be attentive and genuinely examine the person.

5. Prepare for pressure

By anticipating pressure, we're less likely to be caught off guard. Prepare yourself by imagining possible scenarios and coming up with generic or specific mental, emotional, and physical responses for each one.

6. Surround yourself with the right association

Surround yourself with people who share the same values as you, and such people will help reinforce your values and prevent you from straying from your principles.

Ultimately, Altering your personality every time you get into a new environment is a recipe for unfulfillment. Instead, focus on maintaining your core values and let your core values filter out unnecessary relationships from your life.