You feel a lot more squeezed if they need it by Tuesday morning than if they want it by Thanksgiving. The messages, whether stated or implied, exert gentle pressure to conform. For example, Type-A individuals are always trying to do more things while perfectionists have very high standards of excellence. We give ourselves internal messages about the negative consequences that will result if we don't get things done. This cranks up the pressure meter.
Pressure is affected by our level of confidence.
The first three are external, but the second three are internal. We often think of pressure being exerted from outside us, but we bring a lot of it on ourselves. We don't control the first three factors, but the last three are all under our direction. We may not control the first three items, but we can influence them. We can decline requests, negotiate deadlines, and challenge, or even resist, certain aspects of peer pressure and corporate culture.