Peer pressure doesn’t automatically stop because you’re an adult. It gets worse as you age. An average adult is likely to face peer pressure from different phases, in the workplace, relationships, and society at rest. Hence, learning strategies for coping with peer pressure as an adult is necessary to get through these phases of life.
Peer pressure is influenced by people of the same age range. As kids then, you may have felt the pressure to drink, smoke, and be involved in other societal vices.
As adults, peer pressure doesn’t necessarily come from the need to drink like others or smoke. It could be wanting to fit in, desiring to be liked like the girl in your office, or feeling less accomplished.
From pressure at the workplace to dealing with the glamorous lifestyle of your agemate on social media to feeling like an outcast in a social setting. Peer pressure can find it way to mess with your mental health if not checked on time.
This article will highlight some of the situations to deal with peer pressure and discuss some of the actions and ways of coping with peer pressure as an adult.
Also read: How To Take A Digital Detox And Recharge
Different Settings To Deal With Peer Pressure
Whether you’re a student or a young adult navigating life, here are some of the settings where you’re likely going to deal with peer pressure.
School
When you think of peer pressure, the first institution that is likely to register in your mind is the school. This is the genesis of where it all started.
Having to deal with bullies in school, act like the most beautiful girl in the class, or mirror the behavior of the class’s most intelligent person.
School comes with so much pressure to deal with that if not handled with wisdom, may groom you into being timid and dealing with self-esteem issues.
Social Setting
Another agent of peer pressure is social setting. In this era of social media, you don’t even need to socialize to feel pressured.
You log on to social media and the first post on your feed is that of your former classmate who just acquired a house. Or a post from your ex-classmate who just got promoted while you, on the other hand, are still struggling to get a job. The list goes on and on.
The pressure from social media is not anywhere different from that of school. However, coping with peer pressure as adults on social media can be managed by simply logging off from these platforms.
In Relationships
You can feel pressure in your relationship if your partner is always making you feel like you are not doing enough. Pressure in relationships can be draining and mentally exhausting especially if you’re doing so much but get less recognition.
Workplace
This is the most common place for an adult to feel pressured. Peer pressure from the workplace could stem from a toxic boss who wants to drain your soul. Or being intimidated by a high-flyer colleague.
However, feeling pressure in the workplace isn’t entirely a bad thing especially if you believe you can be more.
You can turn this into an eureka moment to rekindle your passion for work.
Healthy Ways To Cope With Peer Pressure As An Adult
Coping with peer pressure as an adult is no means feet especially when situations are trying to pull you down. It’s a journey that requires intentionality and tenacity to get through it.
No matter how deep the pressure may seem, there are healthy ways to cope with pressure from any setting:
Know Yourself
The first thing for coping with peer pressure as an adult is knowing who you are. The qualities that make you unique, your strengths and weaknesses. These are unique things only to you. They may not have to be big but some as insignificant as how you laugh is all you need to deal with pressure.
Knowing yourself will also choose the kind of people to be friends with and draw boundaries where necessary.
Hence, in dealing with peer pressure, it’s necessary to carry out an internal audit to outline your bankable qualities.
Spend Time With Positive People
Sometimes people’s reactions are a projection of their self-image. If someone feels negative about himself all the time, the chances that he will project that onto you are very high.
To deal with peer pressure, be intentional about the kind of people you associate with. People you surround yourself with and the people you talk to. If your association constantly tries to belittle you then you might need to change your association.
All spend time with the people who uplift, motivate, and inspire you to become a better version of yourself.
Distance Yourself
You can’t be too careful around negative people. To ensure that nothing messes with your mental health, try to keep a meaningful distance from things, places, and people who pressure you.
Minus yourself from any situations that promote negativity and fuel pressure. Whether it’s at work, on social media, or in your relationship.
Be Assertive
One of the healthy ways of coping with peer pressure as an adult is being assertive. Be firm in your decisions and don’t let people think you can be easily swayed.
Be someone who makes a decision and stands by it. Loud your values and believe that it’ll be difficult for others to convince you otherwise.
Also, try not to be a people pleaser or a pushover. Be your own voice and stand firm by your convictions.
Don’t Seek External validations
Unless you’re seeking promotions at work, seeking external validation is one of the ways to fall into the trap of peer pressure.
And even if the situations demand to be externally validated, believe in your skills, abilities, and work ethic.
Document your achievements where necessary and believe they will speak for you and get you the recognition you deserve.
Avoid Negative Self Talk
Another way of coping with peer pressure as an adult is to avoid negative self-talk. Don’t be the source of pressure for yourself.
Instead, constantly talk yourself into light with positive affirmations and encouraging words to inspire and motivate you.
Celebrate Your Strengths
Your strengths are your superpowers. They are your unique qualities can are only peculiar to you.
It deserves to be celebrated all day every day. Not only to boost your confidence but also as a reminder that you have something to offer the world.
Your strength could be something like being able to read a 1000-page book or speak three different languages.
These are unique things to you and make you special. Hence, it’s important to recognize and celebrate them every day to boost your self-confidence.
Practice Self-care
Anytime you feel pressured by any form of anyone, take a deep moment to breathe and incorporate self-care into your routine.
Practicing self-care such as going on a spa date, having a deep tissue massage, or ready a chapter of a book is one of the ways of coping with peer pressure as an adult.
It helps you detox your mind and stimulate your mental muscle to improve your self-esteem.
Strive To Achieve Your Personal Goals
When you set goals and strive to achieve them, you are sending a signal to the brain that you’re a super house.
Achieving your personal goals is a testament to your resilience, tenacity, and determination. It’s one of the best ways of dealing with peer pressure as an adult.
Anytime you feel pressure, take your mind back to the time you achieved something personal and let that be your inspiration that you can achieve even more.
Practice Stress Management
Peer pressure is a lot of stress to deal with, so it’s necessary to have measures to manage stress. You can manage stress by taking regular breaks, doing yoga, meditating, etc, to help you heal.
Conclusion
Coping with peer pressure as an adult is a journey, not a destination. There’s always going to be the pressure to level up as you evolve into different eras of life. It’s important to remember that life’s journey is personal and to each his own. So do an internal audit of yourself, be around positive people who will uplift you, keep your distance from negativity be assertive, and avoid negative self-talk.
