A Grown-Up Version of Peer Pressure and How to Deal With It
I’ve recently written about diet red flags and setting boundaries with social media. Why? We are bombarded with information, and with that information comes a lot of persuasion, even pressure, peer pressure. Influencers are selling their products using the best marketing tactics. Your friends and family members are sharing their favorite things and inviting you to join or buy the same things. “New studies” are being released daily about the benefits of this or that. But you can’t buy or do or join all the things. Even though you feel like you want to, or more likely should do it, you just can’t. It’s not feasible or financially possible.
How many times in the last couple of months have you said something like, “I know I’m supposed to ________”? I’m supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day. I’m supposed to exercise every day. Or said, “I need to ______,” or “I should _______.”
Need to. Should. Supposed to. We only feel this way because we hear other people saying we should, or we see other people doing it and getting a certain result that we want. However, it’s not always helpful for you. It’s simply a grown-up version of peer pressure.
One of my Sunday devotions was about John 16:13 (NIV): “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
The Spirit of Truth lives in you.
Peer pressure doesn't go away when you leave high school, but you don't have to give into it. Follow Jesus instead of the latest diet trend. Share on XI remember a conversation I had with a friend years ago. As I often did at that time, I was bemoaning my need to lose weight. (First problem: my need. I didn’t really need to lose weight, but I thought I did because everyone else was always trying to lose weight.) We were talking about diets and weight loss tactics. But then she said, “Marsha, you know what works. You do all the things. Just keep doing it.” Something even funnier – we were in the middle of a 50-mile bike ride! It wasn’t like we were lounging by the pool drinking margaritas and eating chips and salsa (although there is a time and place for that too!).
I knew what worked for me, and I was doing it. But peer pressure made me feel as if I wasn’t doing enough. That I needed to have a smaller body.
If what you’re doing is working, keep doing it. Don’t be swayed by what someone else is doing.
Information can certainly be helpful, but only if we actually need more information. Only if we’re looking for an answer to a real problem that we’re experiencing. And a soft tummy or a double-digit jean size is not a real problem. No matter what social media tells us, we don’t need a flat stomach nor do we need to wear a certain clothing size to be healthy.
There’s a lot of good information, but we can’t do all the things. It’s okay to pick and choose what works for you. Keep it simple. And once you find what works for you, stick to it. Put your blinders on and move forward. Be happy for your friend who has found what works for her and be confident with your own path. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He won’t lead you astray.
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