Your Teenager Needs To Start This New Year's Resolution Now

The habit that has made the biggest difference for me

New year’s resolutions get a bad rap.

Most people think that they are silly,

Because why should you wait until the new year to make a change,

And no one ever sticks to them anyway.

I almost didn’t write this newsletter as I thought it may come across like bragging.

My intention is that those who read to the end either find the habit interesting and give it a go,

Or it makes you think of a different strategy you would like to try with your teenager.

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I never really engaged in resolutions.

I might’ve said I will go to the gym more,

Or I will eat healthier,

But they were never quantifiable and never meant with any meaning.

For whatever reasons this past new year’s I felt the desire to try and see if I could stick to something.

And I know that it is cliché to say,

But writing this 126 days into the new year,

I know time goes quickly,

This new habit has become a regular part of my life and made a real difference.

But most importantly to you I really do believe that this will make a real difference to your teenager during their revision and exams.

And I have a strategy for how you can actually convince them to do it.

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The Habit

As I already said,

I have tried a few ‘self-improvement’ strategies over my life.

Some as new year’s resolutions,

And others like meditation or Pilates at random points.

However, the act of leaving my phone outside my room when I sleep,

Has made the biggest difference without a shadow of a doubt.

I know that this may sound particularly unlikely for your teenager,

And I completely acknowledge just how many people struggle with their sleep,

I actually think this tip is probably more actionable for students who don’t have intense sleep problems,

As it may well just be too big of a jump for those who do.

But for people like me,

Who have an okay relationship with their sleep,

Some nights are better than others,

And when I have something particularly on my mind it definitely gets worse,

I really would encourage persevering with this habit.

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I thought that the thing that I would struggle most with would be what to do when I wake up.

Surely, I will not want to get out of bed immediately,

And now I can’t lie in bed on my phone.

What am I going to do whilst I am adjusting to the new day?

But actually, the biggest problem was going to sleep.

Walking into my room after placing my phone outside and expecting to get into bed and fall straight asleep was difficult.

So this extra tip made all the difference.

I put a Google speaker in my room (you can use an Alexa, a radio or something similar),

Which I ask to play a podcast every night before bed.

This honestly made all the difference and actually makes me quite look forward to this final part of my day.

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The big advantage of this new habit for me has been falling asleep quicker,

Getting out of bed quicker in the morning,

And perhaps most pertinently,

When I have had trouble getting to sleep because something has been on my mind or I am not feeling well,

I have got to sleep a lot quicker than before,

As I previously would have started going on my phone.

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If you think that this is something that would benefit your teenager during their exams,

I recommend two things to convince them.

Number 1: You have to do it too – Leading by example.

Number 2: Bribery – I have spoken about rewards being the most powerful strategy in a parent’s armory before. I would combine this with a couple other positive behaviors you want them to do and if they do them each week, they get a reward.

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I hope you all have a great week ahead,

Best,

Joel