Say no to negative peer pressure

Peer pressure is friends or peers influencing how you think, or act. Every day we make decisions, possibly too many to keep track of. Peer pressure can affect our decisions. How you deal with peer pressure is up to you because you are in the driver’s seat of your life.The consequences of peer pressureNegative peer pressure is when your friends persuade you to do something that you don’t really want to do, or is not in your best interests. Examples are, taking drugs, drinking alcohol, shoplifting, ditching school, engaging in sexual activities, destroying property and so forth. These things have severe consequences including addiction to drugs or alcohol, damaging your body and possibly even death. Negative peer pressure will get you into trouble with your parents, school and even the law.Positive peer pressure is when friends influence you to do good things, such as getting involved in school activities, or doing things to help you reach your goals. Sometimes positive peer pressure is when you don’t quite have the courage to do something and your friends give you that extra push or self-esteem boost to follow through with it. This type of peer pressure can lead to great things like new found talents, good grades, new friends and a positive attitude. Below are ways to handle peer pressure to your advantage.Find out what is really going on, analyze the situation and ask yourself;.Where am I? .Who am I dealing with? .What are they doing? .How do I feel about what is going on?Consider the consequences; .How will I feel about myself tomorrow?.Will I get in trouble?.Is my health in danger?.Is this a danger to someone else?Decide what is right for you. You can base your decisions on; The possible consequences: Do the positive consequences outweigh the negative ones? The effect on your self-esteem: How will your decision affect you and the way you feel about yourself?Voice Your Decision: You can make it easier on yourself by; . Looking and acting confident. . Stand or sit up straight. . Look right into the person’s eyes. Then say something like; . No, thanks. .I’m not interested. If you continue to be pressured, say; . No, and please don’t ask me again. . I already said no, why are you still bothering me?Putting all that into practice and drawing guiding principles will help you tackle that pressure so focus and know what is good for you. With that in place, you will live a brighter and more success life.