Child or adult the back to school season is stressful. There is a lot to get organised and a lot of change. You would have thought L starting reception last year and having gone through a year of school I would be ready for Year 1 but I am just not.

I have all the school uniform to buy, outdoor wet weather kit that he needs, PE kit, shoes the lot. That’s all fine, but it’s the what if’s? For Reception as new parents we were given a buying list, but now we’re not new parents and we are just expected to know. But I don’t. He didn’t need a pencil case last year, but will he this year, I know the learning notches up a gear. Where will he store everything? I’ not even sure who his teacher will be, no one has told us!

If I’m feeling this way I cannot begin to imagine how my son is feeling. I think he’s spent a few days in his new class and I know he will have met his teacher, but it’s a new classroom and new routines.

His class merges next year, so it is Year 1 and Year 2 children in the same classroom, that’s a huge change. His buddy for all of Reception has left to go to High School, so that level of backup and safety has gone, L was ever so attached to his buddy. To top it all off his best friend at school, his go to play mate and pretty much only kid he regularly plays with during the school day is moving to Australia, literally the other side of the world.

That’s a lot of change for a little mind to take in. I think it remains as they grow older too, it just changes. New friends, teachers, challenges and exams are always popping up and having to go back after that long summer break is always hard, it pulls on your gut.

We know stress in young people is rising. But what can we do about it as parents?

Open and honest dialogue is key, actually talking about feelings really helps. Making sure they have good sleep patterns will do a lot of good. I firmly believe in mindfulness and meditation, there are lots of lovely mindfulness journals you can get for young people to help them write down their feelings and think about things. There’s no denying that exercise is great for stress and lets not forget a healthy diet.

We know the key role that gut bacteria plays in digestion but did you know that it has been linked to allergies, immunity and weight gain. It is also becoming increasingly accepted in medical and psychiatric opinion that our gut flora can also influence stress levels. This is where Zenflore becomes a key player and gives a simple way to help our children and ourselves live a healthier, less stressful life.

Zenflore is one of the world’s first targeted probiotic for mood, memory and stress. It was produced based on a study conducted at University College Cork which found that people who took a single daily capsule of the bifidobacterium longum 1714 probiotic for four weeks performed better in stress tests than those who took a placebo. They also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva.

None of are arguing that a healthy gut is a good thing, but how can having a healthy gut help your stress levels?

Well the gut is home to your enteric nervous system, sometimes referred to as the ‘second brain’ and that is where around 90% of your body’s serotonin – a feel good chemical used by the brain – is made. So it makes sense that a happy gut means a happier you.

So when should you start to take Zenflore, ready for the new school year?

The simple answer is now.

Zenflore helps to reduce fatigue and support your mind and body during busy and demanding times. It acts immediately and begins to prime your gut where it is needed.

During the first 2 weeks it will help reset your system. It is important to take Zenflore every day and to see the full effects can take approximately 4 weeks, depending on the individual gut.

The daily natural health supplement comes as a tiny, easy to swallow capsule and is suitable for young people from the age of 3 upwards. It is available from precisionbiotics.com or Amazon and costs £29.99 a month (96p a day).

Disclosure – this is a collaborative post. I have used my own thoughts about stress alongside the research completed by Zenflore to write this article. I have been compensated for my time and will also be receiving some Zenflore to try myself.