Math stress and phobia are common, especially during exam time because there is a lot of perception that the subject needs an extra level of intelligence. Math stress may also come as a result of fear inflicted by parents, teachers, and society generally in the early stages of a student’s life in school. Students also tend to dislike math and question its relevance in real life. Here are surprising ways you can conquer math anxiety.
Shifting your mindset
There is a negative perception of math as a subject in society. Many parents instill the fear of math in their kids early in life, which leads them to struggle in the subject for most of their lives. Having a positive attitude will allow you to approach math by developing a growth mindset. This will ultimately yield positive results. On the other hand, a negative mindset towards math leads to a meagre approach which leads to bad grades and stress.
A great way to change your mindset towards maths is by using online resources, which will also help you reduce stress. For the best online help, students can check out quantitative data questions solved on PlainMath. It is a great platform with a free online service that students can use to get help with any math problem. The truth is math anxiety cannot be solved insidiously. To ace this complex subject, you need the help of your peers and also the assistance of online resources.
Get a study group
Get a study groupA study group or a buddy you get along with can go a long way in enhancing your confidence and reducing the stress caused by math. When alone, you may find some topics out of reach, but if you come together, you get to break down complex points.
Study groups can be done at home or virtually with a find or a group of peers who face similar anxiety issues. You get to realize you are not the only one stressed by math, this allows you to inform your peers of your anxiety, and they will offer you immediate help.
Take some time off
Yes, you need to take a break from time to time from the stress caused by math. A 5 to 10 minutes break during the subsistence of the assignment will be a great way to recollect yourself back and get the confidence you need. It is of great importance that you recuperate the psychological resources that stress and anxiety try to take out.
You may also choose to completely change the current topic and focus on a less complex one just to relax your brain. Another option is to go out and do activities that are not related to math, take a break and play video games, take a break and listen to music or play your favourite sport.
Make it fun
It can only get better and much easy to deal with math when students get to look at the positive side of it and make it a fun activity. This can be made by incorporating games in math classes where students can enhance their engagement and skill fluency.
Game-based learning also reinforces the idea that math doesn’t have to be a boring and difficult task. It also gives the students confidence in approaching assignments in the sense that they are not failures if they don’t score higher grades. Failing math is not necessarily a show of lack of intelligence will be the greatest motivation for students.
Get quality sleep
Sleep remains important not only for math students but for the overall well-being of an individual. Lack of sleep and insomnia can make one dysfunctional in many ways, especially for math students.
Mathematics requires a student’s brain to be at its optimum level, and you need to approach it when they are fresh and not sleep deprived. When you get enough sleep, you get reenergized, your body heals, and you reduce stress levels. Studies show that at least 1 out of 4 students in elementary doesn’t have a quality sleep. Experts recommend that children aged 9 to 13 years should get at least 9 hours of sleep every day.
Conclusion
Many students suffer from stress caused by math anxiety. This ends up affecting their overall grades. The truth is teachers, parents, and society generally have placed high standards on the subject making it seem like a complex phenomenon. One would be considered a genius if they do well in math. Maybe a super dummy if they don’t perform well. These expectations lead to math stress and phobia among kids.
Author’s Bio
Helen Birk is a virtual trainer currently working for an agency that provides soft skill training to college students. Besides his core job, he also loves helping students in doing their essays, thesis or any other academic assignment they need to be done. His free time is for reading historical fiction, doing digital art and learning crypto trading.
