If you’re dealing with peer pressure know that you’re not alone. No one ever wants to be left out and this is why peer pressure often happens. There isn’t a specific manual or guide of ways to prevent peer pressure, but we’ve put together 5 tips that may come in handy if you ever find yourself being under peer pressure:

 Analyse who you associate yourself with:

If you ever feel uncomfortable with certain subjects and behaviours the people you surround yourself with talk about and do, then maybe they are not the right group of friends for you. You are more likely to be easily influenced and pressured into doing things you may not want to do in order to fit in. The people you associate yourself with are a reflection who you are. If you feel like what they are doing isn’t really what you want to be involved with, then maybe you need to find yourself a new group of friends who accept you for who you are without having to compromise yourself in difficult situations.

 Spend time by yourself and study who you are:

It’s no secret that we tend to learn more about ourselves as we grow older. Those who don’t really know themselves as well as they should are often more vulnerable to peer pressure – they tend to follow the crowd. Taking the time to figure out your strengths, weaknesses and your likes and dislikes can help build your confidence and courage. Another useful way to get to know yourself better is through reading, particularly the Bible as it is a good book for encouragement and guidance for the different aspects of life. Autobiographies and motivational books and speeches are also very useful.

 Learn how to say “No”:

This tip goes hand in hand with tip number 2. Research shows that the ones who are more likely to be pressured into things are those who find it hard to say no. If you know who you are as a person, you are more likely to have the courage to say no when you don’t want to do something. It’s also always important to remember that friends that care about your well-being will not pressure or force you into something even after you’ve said no.

 Be cautious of what you expose yourself to:

Curiosities are strengthening with more and more people continuously seeking to know more about things they’re probably better off not knowing. You have to be careful of what you expose yourself to particularly on the internet. You should also not give into any pressure that will place you in situations that leave you vulnerable.

Seek advice from someone you trust:

Everyone has had to deal with peer pressure at some point in their lives. Going to someone you trust and who cares about your well-being for advice is always a good option . They may have knowledge that will help you deal with whatever it is that you are being pressured into.