Now that everyone is working and studying from home, I’m receiving a lot of enquiries on how to help kids and teenagers (and their parents) stay focused. Much of what I have learnt on this topic (beyond the research) I have learnt from my 18-year-old son Manu, who, during his HSC year, put many popular ‘study hacks’ to the test!

The basics of a healthy diet, restful and enough sleep, as well as exercise, are a must. You cannot supplement yourself out of a poor diet; cannot take enough “uppers” to overcome lack of sleep, and you simply cannot get enough blood pumping through your brain without moving your body…

Anxiety, hyperactivity, sleep problems – these are very common concerns parents have about their children and that affect the entire family’s wellbeing. A parent can only be as relaxed as the least unruffled child in the family.

Our society seems to be steeped in anxiety – it is the most common mental health problem around the globe (Ritchie and Roser 2018). Teenagers and young adults are facing an epidemic of anxiety: 25% of Americans 13 to 18 year olds suffer from anxiety – that is one quarter of all teenagers! In Australia two national studies showed that 15.4% of 16 to 24 years olds (ABS 2008) and 7% of 4-17 year olds (Lawrence 2015) had experienced an anxiety disorder in the previous 12 months. These numbers are staggering. The other side of “not calm” is hyperactivity: Almost one in fifteen of children are diagnosed with ADHD in Australia and New Zealand: every primary classroom has several impulsive children who struggle to concentrate and seem to be bouncing off the walls. A large percent of them are being medicated and many suffer from side effects when the medication wears off and struggle to calm down in the evening and go to sleep – presenting another challenge for the family.

Most people, when asked, admit that they are stressed in one way or another…