quick tips for students and parents...here are some quick, effective tips for both parents and teens...

TOOLED UP EDUCATION:

QUICK TIPS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTSAt the moment, it is especially important to look after our wellbeing.

Here are some quick, effective tips for both parents and teens on how to structure your day, stay active, connect with others, get a

good night’s sleep, relax and, very importantly, be kind to yourself.

TUE062 /2020

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Follow Dr Kathy Weston on Facebook for more tips and information www.facebook.com/drkathyweston | www.drkathyweston.com

TOOLED UP EDUCATION: QUICK TIPS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS

STRUCTURING YOUR DAYTips for students:1. Try to get up at the same time every morning, shower and have breakfast.

Try not to skip breakfast. Did you know that having a hearty breakfast is proven to aid your learning, concentration and mood?

2. Every day, aim for our ‘5 a day’: exercise, help a friend online, help around the house, do something that gives you joy and do something that is relaxing.

3. Try to consult other family members regarding your daily schedule and make sure that resources are being shared evenly. For example, if you need the family laptop at 10am, ensure that other members of your family are aware.

Tips for parents:1. Modelling how you successfully structure your day may help to motivate

your teen to structure theirs.

2. Try to respect that teens may need/want to do particular activities at different times to other family members. How can you accommodate this?

3. Remember to praise your child when you see them working hard to better organise themselves. Be specific and tell them exactly why you are proud of them. It can be very motivating to receive parental praise, particularly if they aren’t expecting it.

CONNECTING WITH OTHERSTips for students:1. If you are missing friends, it’s important to acknowledge this fact. Try

to think of ways that you can connect online with favourite friends. In particular, make sure that you connect with those who can really make you laugh!

2. At the moment, you might find that you are more sensitive to comments made towards you online. At the moment it is especially important to be kind to yourself, mindful of how you interact with others and thoughtful about the things that you post and write about. Remember that others may be feeling sensitive too.

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3. Spare a thought for elderly or more vulnerable family members. How can you cheer them up online or by phone? Perhaps you could tell them about your day, show them something you have created that you are proud of, or plan something fun to do together in the future.

Tips for parents:1. Self-care is very important at the moment. Can you designate a particular

night of the week as time for you, perhaps to see your friends online? Make sure that your children know that this is ‘your time’ and that you do not wish to be disturbed.

2. Modelling good digital hygiene is always extremely important, and now is a particularly good time for children to learn positive habits from us. Children of all ages are likely to be spending more time than normal digitally connecting with others. Are they aware of your family digital values? Do they understand the concept of digital hygiene?

3. On your daily walk, remember to smile at people at say hello. Social contact, even with strangers, can mean a great deal to people who are feeling isolated, and it is always welcome. It can make both of you feel good!

BEING KIND TO YOURSELFTips for students:1. When you look in that mirror every morning, remind yourself that you too

deserve some compassion. Give yourself a big pat on the back.

2. At the moment, everyone can feel irritated or upset about goals or targets missed. You might be upset that you aren’t as productive as you want to be. This is normal. Take each day at a time and each evening, make sure that you recognise the little things that you did achieve.

3. Negative self-talk can enter our brains and really get us down. I call them “gremlin thoughts”. Gremlins might tell us that we are rubbish, inadequate, useless, stupid, unpopular or ugly. You can beat gremlin thoughts by recognising them as external to you and challenging the gremlin thought with evidence of your own; “I am not unpopular thank you very much! I had fun with a couple of friends online last night, and they seem to like me.”

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Tips for parents:1. The current situation is putting parents under pressure in multiple ways.

Take each day at a time and try to find pleasure in small things. Focus on what has gone well at the end of every day.

2. Have a ‘lifeline friend’ available during this period, who you know will not mind you calling when you need cheering up.

3. Consider opportunities within the current lockdown situation for you to do an activity that you do not normally have time to do. For example, have you ever wanted to knit? Do you wish you read more? Perhaps you could start listening to a new podcast?

SLEEP ROUTINESTips for students:1. This is a very important time to ensure that you are going to bed at a

reasonable time. The temptation will be there to go to bed late, but try to get into good sleep routines.

2. If you find that you worry a lot when you are lying in bed, try to allocate a ‘worry time’ to earlier in the day or evening. In that way, when you do worry in bed, you may have already considered some solutions that can help to alleviate it.

3. Do not respond to phone calls, texts, WhatsApp messages or other digital communication in the middle of the night. Ideally, keep your phone on charge, elsewhere in the house. When we feel sleep deprived, nothing feels easy the next day.

Tips for parents:1. It is a good idea to set bedtime routines as a family. Recent research

points to the fact that teens living in households with ordered, stable bedtimes, are less likely to suffer from depression.

2. Encourage your teen to ditch their phone at least one hour before bed. However, if they have great trouble sleeping, it is fine to replace that piece of tech with a Kindle or a device that enables them to listen to calming, sleep-inducing music.

3. If your teen suffers from sleep problems, as far as possible, discourage them from consuming drinks that contain caffeine in the six hours before bed.

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RELAXATIONTips for students:1. Everyone is different! You might find listening to music relaxing, but your

sibling might prefer exercise or playing online with friends. Reflect on what works for you and make sure that you are able to do it every day.

2. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that calming, relaxation or mindfulness apps can be beneficial in helping us to relax. Why not give one a go?

3. If you have a family pet, try to spend more time with it. The evidence suggests that animals can really benefit our mental health and relax us. They will enjoy it too.

Tips for parents:1. With everyone working, playing and socialising at home, life can feel

stressful. Think about how you might use your physical home space differently. Can you change anything to help you feel more relaxed? Can you improve your work space? Is there an opportunity to work more outside?

2. Oddly, using tech during the day can be very tiring and you might want to avoid online socialising in the evening. Enjoy a nice bath instead and soak up the quiet.

3. In a busy household, you might want to use noise-cancelling headphones or ear plugs at particular times of the day, when you really need to switch off. You could consider listening to things that might really absorb your attention and help bring you into a different world.

KEEPING ACTIVETips for students:1. Exercise is hugely beneficial for you physically and it is known to boost

mental health and resilience in teens. Every day should contain at least 30 minutes of active, heart-pumping, sporting fun!

2. Sport doesn’t always have to involve others, but it can be fun to do online challenges with friends. You might use weights, a skipping rope or follow an online exercise class together. Be innovative and encourage one another.

3. Goal-setting can also ward off negative feelings and moods. Set little goals often and share your goals with friends and family. You are more likely to keep them if you do!

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Tips for parents:1. One form of exercise a day is old news! Now you can exercise far more as

a family. Try listing different types of activities and rate them. Perhaps you could pop different activities in the hat and choose 1 or 2 to do each day?

2. We have a unique opportunity at the moment to model to our children how we approach looking after ourselves. What have they learned from watching us over the last two months? Reflect on this and consider if you want to make any changes.

To hear more evidence-based tips, and how Ashlyns’ staff are supporting students and families, listen to this recent podcast, presented by Dr Kathy Weston, who is joined by Mr Khalil and Mr McDonald for a chat!

https://soundcloud.com/user-62859579/dr-kathy-weston-may-2020/s-n0bg4ZgoSIc

quick tips for students and parents...here are some quick, effective tips for both parents and teens...

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