6 Ways To Stand Up To People Who Are Pressuring You

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6 Ways To Stand Up To People Who Are Pressuring You

Even though you’ve left the realm of high school drama and peer pressure, there are still moments in life — even in a professional setting — where you may feel pressured by friends or coworkers.

Don’t worry. Here are six tips you can use to stand up for yourself without ruining any valuable work or personal relationships:

1. Be Direct
This might be more easily done with close friends. If they ask you to do something that really doesn’t jive with what you want, just tell them, ‘No.’ If they’re a true friend, they’ll respect your decision. Work colleagues may be a bit trickier to handle, but directness is still the best way to avoid any confusion.

2. You Ultimately Control How You Feel About Yourself
Those who know the ins and outs of pressuring others to get what they want know their agendas thrive when their targets begin to feel inferior about themselves. Remember that absolutely no one can make you feel inferior without your own consent.

Try to build your personal arsenal to face situations like this — self esteem-building exercises will help you construct your confidence armory. This can help you remain true to yourself in tough situations.

3. Take Control
Knowing yourself and what your objectives are will make it easier to take control of an unsavory situation. Use your body language, make eye contact, and be confident in your word choice. Saying “I will” or “I won’t” is much more definitive than “maybe I will.”

4. Keep Better Company
Toxic relationships that come from peer pressure take their toll mentally and emotionally, and sometimes they can even spiral out of control. Studies have shown there is a direct correlation between emotional and mental trauma and addiction.

If you continue to entertain company that doesn’t have your best interests in mind, you may subject yourself to an environment where these negative influences can cultivate your own bad habits. Instead, choose people who build you up and support you — not those who try to bring you down or manipulate you.

If you’re unsure of where to find like-minded people, try joining a group that shares similar interests with you. You’ll learn what qualities you want in your peer group, and you’ll have an easier time identifying those qualities in people down the road.

5. Maintain a Sense of Humor
When you can laugh at yourself, it shows you don’t take yourself too seriously. It also comes across as being confident.

Exhibiting confidence through humor helps to alleviate others’ tensions, but it’s also a way to establish your authoritative position in a conversation. People will soon realize you’re not so easily persuaded, making you a less likely target in the future.

6. Turn the Tables
Rather than folding under the pressure, push back with a little of your own. Try pointing out how people are making you feel. Perhaps they aren’t even aware that they are putting unwanted pressure on you.

For example, if you’re getting pressure to join the group at the after-work happy hour, maybe it’s just because people enjoy having you around at social gatherings. If it’s making you uncomfortable, however, remind them it’s not friendly to be pushy. You can also politely remind them of any reasons you’ve given for not attending.

Be patient. You’ll eventually gain respect for standing your ground.

Managing peer pressure situations can be a taxing ordeal, but remember that the most important tool you can have to deal with these types of situations is to know and love yourself. You’ll be able to maneuver tricky work situations, toxic relationships, annoying friends or even your own self-deprecation.

If you feel like you need a little pick me up from time-to-time, try writing a list of your best qualities, and read it whenever you need to be reminded why you are absolutely awesome.

Sarah Landrum is the founder of Punched Clocks, a site dedicated tosharing advice on all things career. Follow her on Twitter @SarahLandrum for more great tips!