We all face peer pressure in different phases in life. As children, we are not very sure about what we are experiencing. As we move into adolescence, some of us are able to deal with it, some suffer emotional upheavals, some need support from parents and some even require psychiatric help.
In our professional and social lives, we are constantly in confrontation with this pressure in some form or the other. Research has proved that both men and women are affected by this and it has created a negative impact on the lives of many. It has affected their social equilibrium, professional balance, caused tremendous stress and has even resulted in nervous breakdown in the case of many. Reports also indicate that there could be low levels of productivity at work in certain cases of extreme peer pressure.
It is not common for people at work discuss what they are going through with peers or with their managers. Some just succumb to it or wait for the right opportunity and quit from that work environment. The core of the problem lies in the fact that many of us suffer from this perception that we cannot say no to others. We allow their opinions to become important and because of that suffer internally.
The first step is to start believing in your own strength. If you develop a sense of confidence and pride about your merits, you will become capable of dealing with others who may want you to do things to please them. In the process of pleasing them, you are hurting yourselves and your self esteem. We have to consciously develop a sense of pride about ourselves and believe in our true character. If there is a difficulty, we need to take help from our managers who can improve the situation.
kalpana@acl-india.in
Kalpana R Chennai
She is the founder of The Academy for Communication and Learning