We all want to feel as though we belong to a group or fit in. This can influence the clothes we wear, the music we listen to and more. Friends can be a positive influence on our lives, but sometimes we can be influenced to do things that we wouldn’t normally do, or don’t feel completely comfortable doing. This is known as peer pressure.

Peer pressure can happen as a result of someone directly putting pressure on you to do something, or it can be indirect pressure to do something just because your friends do it or because you think it is what others want. It is fine to be different and it’s OK to say no. If peer pressure causes you to do something that you don’t want to do, it can affect your mental health.

If you would like more advice regarding how to handle peer pressure visit the ‘Relationships’ section of www.connexions-direct.com