22: Half Term Habits That Help: What I Learnt After Years of Exam Seasons With Teenagers

Half term arrives in exam season feeling like neither quite a holiday nor a school week — and for many families, that in-between space is genuinely hard to hold. You want your teen to rest. You're worried they'll fall behind. And you're trying to keep the household from tipping into tension. In this episode, I draw on years of running boarding houses through exam cycles to share what I found actually helped students cope well — and what I'm trying to bring home this week with my own two, though the emphasis, I'll admit, is very much on the word trying. What You'll Discover I open by sharing what I noticed after many exam cycles with teenagers — that the students who coped best weren't the ones who worked the hardest, but the ones who stayed purposeful about their rest and their relationships alongside their revision. One approach never fitted all, and my key role was always to create an environment in which each student could flourish in their own way. I share the specific habits we built into boarding house life during exam season — from rounders after supper and nutritionist talks about what the brain actually needs, to the girl who asked if we could make the dining room a no-exam-talk zone at mealtimes. It was entirely her idea. And it worked more than almost anything else we tried. I explain what the research tells us about why this matters — drawing on Shawn Achor's work on positive priming, and why a brain in a positive emotional state before a task is measurably more focused, creative and resilient under pressure. I bring it home to this half term — sharing what I'm trying with my own two teens right now, the practical rhythms that seem to help, and why creating the right conditions matters as much as the revision plan itself. I offer three coaching questions to hold this week that can ease tension, prevent conflict and keep your relationship with your teen warm under pressure — whatever the exams ahead look like. Key Moments Why the students who coped best protected certain things alongside their work The boarding house habits that made healthy choices feel easy — and one student's idea that changed everything What a nutritionist told students about what the brain needs during exam season Why evening yoga and visualisation sessions became the practice students came back for, year after year Shawn Achor's positive priming research — and why fun isn't the opposite of productive James Clear on systems over goals — and what that means for a half term week Three questions to ask yourself this week to ease tension, avoid conflict and keep balance at home What I'm actually trying at home this week — with two teens, two different exams, and no perfect answers Your Practice This Week At some point today, ask yourself the three questions from this episode: What does my teen actually need right now — not what do they need to get done, but what do they need? What would good enough look like, for both of us, this week? And what's one thing we can do together that has nothing to do with exams at all? You don't need to answer all three at once. Start with the one that feels most true. If you'd like support for your teen with the regulation and visualisation practice I describe in this episode, the Student Audio Toolkit is available on my website now — five practices designed to calm the nervous system, enhance focus and recall, and help your teen see their exams going well. Access the toolkit HERE Connect with Kate Email: Questions or topics? [email protected] Share: If this resonated, share it with another parent using the link on the player above. Important: This podcast is for educational purposes only, not medical advice. If your teenager is experiencing severe anxiety, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.