Social pressure is the first obstacle for many people who want to change their lives and improve their situations. It can be a strong emotion that prevents you from setting goals, fighting procrastination, or interrupting your routine. Here are the ways how you can overcome social pressure and get what you want from life.
Teach yourself healthy social norms and values
The first step in overcoming social pressure is teaching yourself how your actions affect others. It may seem selfish, but put yourself in their shoes. Make it a game to determine what will hurt others and what will not. That will take time and probably a few embarrassing experiences, but use it as a lesson to inform the next time you are placed in the same situation.
Respond before you feel the need
This can be difficult because sometimes, before you feel pressured, you have already given in to your impulses. However, try practicing thinking about how your actions affect others before acting rashly. You will begin to build your tolerance for social conflict over time and learn how to respond accordingly.
Learn active listening skills
Active listening projects an understanding and interested perspective in a conversation. It requires you to truly listen and acknowledge others by repeating and summarizing what they say in your own words. That can help you greatly when pressured and break down the awkward tension of feeling pressured.
Practice an assertive response
After learning how your actions affect others, you will also begin to learn how your response affects them. After many failed attempts, you will begin to understand what works for the situation at hand. Many people confuse assertiveness with aggression, but this is not correct. Being assertive means showing your opinion without coming off as aggressive or rude. Assertiveness also means making a statement without needing to defend your opinion. However, be careful of being overly assertive, as this also has its drawbacks.
If you have ever experienced social pressure, then you know how difficult it can be to control. Social pressure can force you into acting against your better judgment, which is often problematic for us as people. Normally, you will want to fit in and be accepted, but it can often lead us down the wrong path. However, through education and awareness, you can develop our ability to overcome social pressures or avoid them altogether.