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, teaching materials and free things• Fiction and non-fiction• EXAM ATTACK – short ebook for exam students

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

Understanding control

Our brains are in our hands ~

“active agency”

Ten Things I’d Like You to Know

1. Adolescence is not new

It’s a natural, universal, necessary and positive developmental stage

2. The point is separation independence

Explains: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

Amygdala

PFC

3. Prefrontal cortex develops last (mid 20s)

Those brain changes can explain:•Emotions up and down•Weaker empathy •Problems controlling impulse•Poor decision-making•Risk-taking•And peer pressure

4. Sleep

patterns

change

Sleep changes:•Need 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•Huge parental responsibility•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• If part attention is occupied, we cannot perform 100%• Every mental or physical action uses some bandwidth

• So, preoccupation lowers performance:1. Cognitively (learning) 2. Executively (behaviour)

• Three BIG bandwidth users/preoccupiers:1. Intrusive thoughts and worries2. Processing information – especially new3. Internet/screens

The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin

HOLD THIS THOUGHT

Some specifically 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” stresses

1. Exams: higher pressure; very frequent; high stakes2. Internet and social media: • Highly appealing/addictive – biologically

(See Glow Kids by Nicholas Kardaris) • “Bad maths” raising anxiety• Constant distraction:• “continual partial attention”• The problems of multi-tasking

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

•Remember bandwidth: if part of focus is elsewhere, cannot perform 100% on task• (Certain tasks are easier to combine)

•We do not seem to improve at multi-tasking• Those with most distractions are worse at ignoring

distractions • Attempting to multi-task causes cognitive stress/tax

The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin

7. So social media/screens a two-fold problem

1. Biologically drawn to social media through need to be social, make bonds, do what peers do

2. Yet prevented from doing best work as continually distracted

• Educate; strategies and barriers; modelling; understand intrinsic motivation and biology of temptation

8. Over-protection damages resilience

Resilience: ability to deal with “bad things”•Must face, discuss and experience scary, difficult

things - including failure…•Be a safety-net parent, not a helicopter parent•Help them deal with failure a learning process•Develop a growth mindset

9. Teenagers know a lot about a lot but…

Very little about a lot of other things!

Including stress…

How can you help?

Emphasise: relaxation benefits performance

Better sleep

Better wellbeing

Better performance

Better wellbeing

Less stress

Provide strategies1. Instant breathing/relaxation technique – my website

2. Attitude: “This too shall pass”; “You are not alone”; “Talk” – and neg emotions are normal + healthy

3. Daily “downtime” to lower cortisol – varied and deliberate activities, chosen by themPhysical exerciseInclude digital switch-off – whole family…Reading for pleasure

10. Teenagers who read daily for pleasure…•Do better at school and afterwards•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 proper 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•Chance to forget worries and switch off•Permission to be alone• It is freely chosen and autonomous•Creates a state of “engagement” or “flow”•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

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

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)