Morning Routines
True or False: Planning your morning the night before can improve executive functioning and reduce morning stress.
True! This reduces cognitive load in the morning and leads to less stressful starts to the day.
True or False: Regular physical exercise has been shown to improve focus and impulse control.
True! Research suggests that exercise increases dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, which are neurotransmitters involved in focus and attention.
True or False: Visual or auditory reminders, such as alarms or sticky notes, are helpful for improving time management.
True! External reminders are beneficial for task initiation and working memory.
What is the first step to achieving any goal?
Setting a clear, specific goal.
You have an important test tomorrow morning, but you feel stressed and disorganized. What steps can you take the night before to reduce anxiety and ensure you've prepared for the test?
Plan your morning the night before by laying out clothes, packing your bag with test materials, setting an alarm, and prepping a healthy breakfast. Use relaxation techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness to calm your nerves. Lastly, review your notes or make a study checklist to ensure you're ready.
This helps reduce decision fatigue and increases mental clarity.
How many hours of sleep are recommended for teens to improve attention, memory, and emotional regulation?
8-10 hours
Name one tool that can improve organization and reduce procrastination.
Using a planner or a task management app
What is task chunking?
Breaking a larger goal into smaller steps! This reduces overwhelm and makes it easier to sustain motivation.
You've just finished a long homework assignment, but now you feel completely drained. What strategies can you use to reward yourself and recharge before your next task?
Take a short break. You could give yourself a reward like 15 minutes of screentime, a snack, or do something relaxing. Stretch or go for a walk to move your body while allowing your brain to rest before the next task.
Why is eating breakfast important for cognitive focus, especially for teens?
Eating breakfast provides essential nutrients that boost brain function and improve focus. Balanced meals help regulate attention and prevent energy crashes later in the day.
What are 3 examples of rewards for completing tasks?
Short breaks, screen time, snack or treat, stickers or tokens, fun activities, sharing accomplishments, relaxation time, creative outlet, feedback, and more!
Name two strategies to reduce distractions and improve focus when studying.
Limit access to phones, use white noise or instrumental music, designate a study area, minimize visual clutter, use a timer, gather all materials ahead of time, write down distracting thoughts.
What can you use to stay motivated when working towards a long-term goal?
Use positive reinforcement, such as rewarding yourself for completing small steps. This increases the likelihood of repeating the desired behavior.
You're studying in a room where there are a lot of distractions, such as noise from family members and your phone is constantly buzzing. What steps can you take to minimize these distractions and stay focused?
Use noise-canceling headphones or play white noise to block out external sounds. Turn on "Do not disturb" on your phone or place it in another room to limit notifications. Create a distraction-free study space by organizing your desk and keeping non-study items out of sight.
Picking out an outfit for the morning, planning breakfast, determining if you need to shower, packing your bag or backpack, planning your lunch, making sure devices are charges, creating a to-do list or schedule, reviewing any information you need for things on your schedule (appointments, tests, deadlines).
What is one strategy to ensure that you drink enough water throughout the day?
Use a water bottle with time markers, or set reminders on your phone.
What does the "two-minute rule" suggest in relation to task management?
If a task takes less than two minutes, do it right away. This rule is based on the principle of task initiation, which helps reduce procrastination.
What does it mean to prioritize tasks, and why is this important in reaching your goals?
Prioritizing means organizing tasks based on importance and deadlines. This reduces task-selection struggles and helps manage time and effort effectively.
You've set a goal to exercise more often, but you keep getting distracted or putting it off. How can you break this goal into smaller, achievable steps to stay on track?
Break the goal down by starting small, like scheduling a 10-minute walk every day at a specific time. Set up visual or phone reminders and reward yourself after each session, like extra screen time, or having a larger reward after a week of consistency.
If-then plans for routines can be helpful for staying on schedule. What is an example of an if-then plan for the morning?
"If I feel rushed, then I will skip watching TV and focus on getting dressed and eating." This type of planning helps create automatic responses to common challenges.
According to research on habit formation, what are three components of a successful habit?
Cue (reminder), repeated action (routine), and reward (reinforcing consequence)
What is the name of an evidence-based strategy that involves working for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break? Why is this helpful?
The Pomodoro Technique. It helps sustain attention and reduces burnout.
What does SMART stand for in SMART goals, and why is this strategy beneficial?
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound. SMART goals help create a clear structure and framework, making it easier to stay focused and track progress.
You've been struggling to keep up with your schoolwork and feel overwhelmed by the number of assignments. How can you use prioritization and time management strategies to get back on track?
Start by making a list of all of your assignments and rank them by priority or due date. Use a planner or calendar to schedule when to work on each task. Break larger assignments into smaller tasks and use the Pomodoro Technique to work in focused blocks with breaks. Set up visual cues like a checklist to track progress and reward yourself when you complete a task or reach a goal.