The Secret Sauce to Help Teens Be Less Stressed & Succeed in School This Year

“I’ll do it later. I’m too tired. I don’t want to go studying.”

Sound familiar? These are the words of the first year student I was coaching yesterday. I loved her honesty. This is also the anthem of the average teen.

After eight hours of school, homework is about as appealing as eating celery-flavoured ice cream. (My Dad used to grow celery and I can’t stand it!)

Now imagine you’re not just tired, but also navigating life with ADHD, dyslexia, or dyspraxia. Throw in the fact that they masking all day, and it’s no wonder teens want to dive into TikTok or PlayStation instead of the books.

Here’s the fun bit: my job is to help teens do the sh!t they’d rather not do. Specifically, study.

It is not an easy gig but no fear—I’ve got a trick up my sleeve that even Snapchat can’t compete with.

It’s Not Motivation. It’s having a System.

James Clear nailed it in his excellent book Atomic Habits:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

And my system? The 30-Minute Study Sprint. It’s as simple as it sounds:

1. One sprint per day.
2. One topic per sprint.

That’s it. No fancy apps. No color-coded charts. Just 30 minutes of focus, and BAM—students feel like they’ve conquered Everest.

Why Does This Work? Let’s Talk Habits.

Habits are the brain’s autopilot. Once they’re in place, they run smoothly without much effort.

For teens, good study habits do more than boost grades—they give them a sense of control and shrink exam anxiety.

But here’s the best bit: you don’t need to overhaul their entire routine overnight.

Start small. Be consistent.

Before you know it, they’re doing the work without (too much) drama.

How do you Create a Strong Study Habit?

It’s all about psychology. It’s about making things small. In this video I share 10 hacks to create a powerful study habit. I also share the best study technique of them all (and I got a new mic) so it’s well worth a watch.

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Parents & Teachers: You’re the Co-Pilot, Not the Pilot.

I know it’s tempting to swoop in and save the day. I see it all the time—parents doing homework for their kids, practically writing essays themselves.

Stop.

Your role? Cheerleader. Gentle nudger. Habit enforcer. Be patient, because habits don’t form in a day. They need nurturing.

Take Chloe, one of my students from last year. Twelve months ago, she hated school.

Studying? Forget it.

Fast forward to today: she’s thriving, smashed her Junior Cert exams, and she’s loving TY.

Her secret? Habits. They gave her the confidence to in her words “just get on with it.”

What’s the Secret Sauce?

Let’s not overthink this. Whether it’s losing weight, saving money, or studying, it’s all about building good habits.

Olympian Jim Ryun said it best:

“Motivation gets you started. Habit keeps you going.”

So let’s start today. One habit. One sprint. One topic a day. And remember, every small step counts.

Until next time, let’s keep RAYSING THE GAME!