Supporting TeenageBrains and Stress

with Nicola Morgan,award-winning author

of fiction and non-fictionUp-to-date science, classroom

materials, advice, books and more: www.nicolamorgan.com

www.nicolamorgan.com

•Handouts on my blog today•And this presentation• Teaching materials for schools• Fiction and non-fiction• EXAM ATTACK – short ebook for exam students

(Blame My Brain and The Teenage Guide to Stress for sale today – discount for you!)

Understanding control

Understanding WHY is more than half the

solution to everything!

Nine Things I’d Like You to Know

1. Adolescence is not new

Universal, biological, temporary and positive stage of development

2. The point is independence

Separation independence

Helps explain:a) Conflict with adults

b) Power of peer pressure

Prefrontal cortex vs limbic systemPrefrontal cortex: CONTROL - reason, logic, prediction, analysis, impulse control, moral values, decisions

Limbic system - including amygdala • EMOTIONS + INSTINCT:Reactive, impulsive, motivating, rewarding, tempting Amygdala

PFC

3. Prefrontal cortex develops last (mid 20s)

Those brain changes can explain problems with:

•Emotions up and down•Control•Decision-making•Risk-taking

•And peer pressure

4. Sleep

patterns

change

Sleep changes:•Biological need for more sleep • “Body clock” acts differently:• Switches melatonin ON late at night• But switches it OFF later in the morning

•VERY important for health + performance•Advice on my website and handouts

5. Teenage stresses are different

First, what is stress?•Biological response to threat• Designed to maximise performance • Adrenalin + cortisol

• So, what’s the problem?1. Too much panic2. Cortisol build up health and performance reduces3. “Preoccupation”

“Preoccupation”• The “bandwidth” analogy• Every mental or physical action uses some bandwidth• If part attention is occupied, we cannot perform 100%

• So, preoccupation makes our brain work less well

• Three BIG bandwidth users/preoccupiers:1. Intrusive thoughts and worries2. Processing information3. Internet/screens

The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin

HOLD THIS THOUGHT

Some special teenage stresses

•Perfect storm of change •Regular school-day is a catalogue of stresses

• Especially for introverts

How might these occupy

bandwidth and increase cortisol

levels?

And “new” stress 1: exams

Higher pressure; very frequent; high stakes

New stress 2: Internet + social media• (Extremely hard to resist – biological drive to be social)• Repetition of bad news emotional effect• anxiety • Social networking – very important, but…• More “friends” than we can manage • Competition; everyone’s “perfect” lives – how many • “Online disinhibition effect” cyber-bullying

• Info overload • Trying to multi-task – stressful + ineffective: “continual partial attention”

6. Teenagers are no better at multi-tasking than adults

•Remember bandwidth: if part of focus is elsewhere, cannot perform 100% on task•Attempting to multi-task is tiring, stressful and

ineffective• SO, social media/screens bring a double problem:• Biologically drawn towards using social media• And unable to do best work if continually distracted

7. Over-protection damages resilience

Resilience: ability to deal with “bad things”• Need to experience, in supportive environment• Including failure…

•Be a safety-net parent, not a helicopter parent• “Failure” a learning process

• Encourage a “growth” mindset

8. Teenagers know a lot about a lot but…

Very little about a lot of other things!

Including stress…

How can we help?

Relaxation wellbeing performance

Better sleep

Better wellbeing

Better success

Better wellbeing

Manage stress

Relaxation is not a luxury

Emphasise: relaxation benefits performance

Core strategies

Daily

MindsetInstant

In control, calm and

strong

Suggest strategies1. Instant breathing/relaxation technique – my website

2. Mindset: “This too shall pass”; “You are not alone”; neg emotions are normal + healthy (up to a point)

3. Daily “downtime” – varied and deliberate activities, freely chosenPhysical exerciseDigital switch-off – whole family…Reading for pleasure

9. Teenagers who read daily for pleasure…•Achieve higher results (Causal???)•Have higher self-esteem•Understand themselves and others better•Have greater knowledge and vocabulary•Have a perfect strategy for managing stress

• See my website for the research evidence

Readaxation: “The deliberate act of

reading in order to relax, improving wellbeing and performance.”

Why does it help stress and wellbeing?

•Makes us focus on something outside of us•Creates a state of “engagement” or “flow”• Chance to forget worries and switch off

•Permission to be alone• It is freely chosen and autonomous•Aids sleep

Summing up: how parents can help best

1. Understand biology of stress – and share2. Set a good example – they copy us3. Encourage daily relaxation – esp. during exams4. Have family switch-off-devices time5. Let them make mistakes and learn from them

Our job: to create active agents, in control of own wellbeing

Supporting Your Teenagers

and Their Brainswith Nicola Morgan,

award-winning author of fiction and non-fictionUp-to-date science, classroom

materials, advice, books and more: www.nicolamorgan.com

www.nicolamorgan.com•Handouts + resources on my blog today•And this presentation• Books and teaching resources• Fiction and non-fiction• Lots of free info for you and offspring• Exam Attack – short ebook for exam pupils

(Blame My Brain and The Teenage Guide to Stress for sale this evening)