Teenage Stress: Strategies for School Success with Nicola Morgan

1. Teenage Stress:Strategies for School Successwith Nicola Morgan Up-to-date science, classroom materials, free advice, books and more: www.nicolamorgan.com

2. More information • Your handouts • My website (www.nicolamorgan.com) • Today’s blog • Handouts with hyperlinks • This presentation • Lots of free things • Teaching resources –discount code on blog • Free Brain Sane newsletter: wellbeing, brains, adolescence, stress, science of reading and learning, digital/online effects

3. Main aim: “Active agency” • Feeling of autonomy: control reduces stress and improves wellbeing • This helps build resilience: I “can do” this • “growth mindset” • “The small steps I take make a difference”

4. Five Strategies

5. FIRST: Educate about stress A. What stress IS – good and bad • Stress affects wellbeing  performance • So, RELAXATION IS NOT A LUXURY

6. B: Relaxation  wellbeing  performance Relaxation is not a luxury

7. C. Three strategy groups Mindset Instant In control, calm and strong Daily

8. D. Instant stress strategy Breathing skills – for panic or general relaxation • Free audio on my website • Or search “belly-breathing”

9. E. Empower daily relaxation Down-time – activities to reduce cortisol • Deliberate and conscious • Varied • What about computer gaming?? • Personal choice - autonomy

10. Daily relaxation: essential stroke a pet draw daydream music breathe deeply walk SWITCH OFF! read look at nature be alone OR social write bath yoga laugh mindfulness bake

11. 2. Value and cater for introverts First, understand introverts: • Expend energy in all social interaction • May not do best work when collaborating • Extra need for quiet time • May “ruminate” excessively • Likely to feel inadequate compared to extroverts “Quiet” by Susan Cain – and her website

12. 3. Promote better sleep

13. “sleep hygiene” • 90 minutes before desired bed-time • See handout for do/don’ts • Create ROUTINE • Crucial role of screen-based devices • Mimic daylight? • Exciting and awakening • Bring potential stressors • Therefore may hinder sleep and increase stress

14. 4. Manage screen-time

15. Educate/empower re screentime • Share knowledge of the problems • Recognise as powerfullyaddictive • Activates same reward pathways in the brain as addictive behaviours/substances • And unavoidably distracting • Show them the science (The Organized Mind, D Levitin) • “You will do your work faster and better if you switch off distractions”

16. But HOW?! • Develop a strong school policy • Offer/discuss strategies to reduce use • (“intrinsic motivation” – self-motivated) • Apps to block social media • “Out of sight, out of mind” – remove! • Pomodorotechnique – timed sessions • MODEL good behaviour

17. 5. Promote Reading for Pleasure

18. Evidence-based Reading Agency Literature Review 2015 – huge meta-study (see my website) • Self-esteem; greater life satisfaction • Increased vocab and general knowledge • Increased empathy + self-understanding • Better mood + relationships • Stress

19. Readaxation Definition: “Reading to relax, as a conscious strategy for wellbeing and stress management. The aim is to feel and function well.”

20. Why does reading de-stress? • Readers feel effect– try my Readaxation diary as an activity • Allows “engagement” / “flow” • Chance to forget worries – a CBT effect

22. To sum up strategies for “active agency”: • Educate about stress management: why + how • Support introverts • Promote better sleep • Manage screen time • Promote reading for pleasure

23. Teenage Stress:Strategies for School Successwith Nicola Morgan Up-to-date science, classroom materials, free advice, books and more: www.nicolamorgan.com

24. www.nicolamorgan.com