How to Deal with Math Anxiety
Emotions and Learning
Our feelings have a big effect on how we learn. When we’re calm and relaxed, we learn better. But when we’re scared or stressed, it’s harder for us to learn.
Many people are afraid of math. “Math anxiety” is the fear of math. People who suffer from math anxiety may get headaches, sick stomachs, cold hands, or they may just sweat a lot or just feel scared. Math anxiety can happen for a few different reasons:
- Feeling anxious when writing tests
- Negative experiences in a past math class
- Social pressures and expectations to not like math or not do well in math
- The want to get everything right
- Negative self-messages (“I don’t know how to do it,” or “I hate math”)
Math anxiety is a learned habit. If it is learned, it can be unlearned. Everyone can learn math. There are some people who are better at math than others, but even these people had to learn to be good at math.
Do You Suffer from Math Anxiety?
Read the list below and put a check mark beside the ones you feel when thinking about or doing math.
- Are your palms moist?
- Is your stomach fluttering?
- Do you feel like you can’t think clearly?
- Do you feel like you would rather do anything else than learn math?
- Are you breathing faster than normal?
- Is your heart pounding?
- Do you feel cold?
- Do you feel sweaty?
If you answered yes to two or more of these items, you may have math anxiety.
Strategies for Managing Math Anxiety
The key to learning is to be the “boss” of your anxiety. Here are some strategies that may help deal with your anxiety.
Use Breathing Exercises
One way to be the “boss” is to relax. Try this breathing exercise.
Start by breathing slowly to the count of four. It may help to close your eyes and count.
Now hold your breath for four counts and then let your breath out slowly to the count of four.
The counting is silent and should follow this pattern: “Breath in, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Breath out, two, three, four. Wait, two, three, four.”
With practice, the number of counts can be increased. This is an easy and good way to relax.
Now, try this exercise quietly and repeat it five times slowly.
Each time you feel anxious about learning, use the breathing exercise to help calm yourself.
Think Positive Math Messages
Another way to be the “boss” is to give yourself positive math messages. Read and think about the positive math messages listed below.
I like math.
I am good at math.
I understand math.
I can relax when I am studying math.
I am capable of learning math.
My math improves every day.
I am relaxed, calm and confident when I study math.
I understand math when I give myself a chance.
Math is creative.
Pick three statements that you like and say them to yourself as much as you can in each day. You can also write the statements out on paper and post them around your house so that you read them throughout the day.
Know Your Textbook
Look at the Table of Contents in the front of your textbook. It tells you what you will be learning. You may see some things that you already know, some things that you may have forgotten, and some things that are new to you.
Flip the pages. You can see that the textbook is split into units. Each unit is something to learn.
Each unit has exercises to do. Notice the answers at the end of each exercise. You can check your answers as soon as you are done. You can also check your answer before moving on if are not sure if you are doing a question right.
At the end of each unit is a self-test. It is a chance for you to see how well you have learned the skills in the unit. If you do well, you can move on. If you don’t do well, you can go back and practice those skills.
Knowing your textbook gives you a good skill. If you get frustrated, you can use the Table of Contents to go back and find some help.
Understand Test-Taking Anxiety
Here are four reasons people may be anxious when writing tests, along with strategies for coping:
1. Not feeling prepared for the test
Many students feel anxiety about taking math tests because they do not feel prepared for the test. To feel prepared, a student needs to have studied the work and know that they can do the problems they will be given.
Getting ready for a test starts on the first day of class. Everything you do in class and at home is part of that getting ready.
- Always do as many exercises as you need to help you understand. Once you understand, do ten more questions, then you will know for sure that you really understand.
- Always correct your exercises. It is good to know that you are understanding and getting the questions right. It is also good to know if you are not understanding and need some help.
- Always do the self-tests. The self-tests can show things that you are not sure of.
- Always do the review. Review is part of this book. It is a chance to go over all the things you have learned in a unit before moving on. It prepares you for what will be on the test.
- Always do a practice test. A practice test gives you a chance to see how many questions and what kind of questions are on the test.
2. Not sure how to write the test in the best way
Here are some strategies students should know about how to write a test to do as well as possible:
Before the Test
- Arrive early. Get out all the supplies you need to do the test (pencils, ruler, calculator, watch, etc.).
- Be comfortable, but alert. Choose a good spot in the room, and make sure you have enough space to work. Maintain a comfortable posture in your seat, but don’t “slouch.”
- Stay relaxed and confident. Keep a good attitude. If you find yourself anxious, take several slow, deep breaths to relax.
During the test
- Look over the test. Take a look at the whole test before starting. This takes very little time. Use a highlighter to highlight the questions that you know you can do easily, note key terms, mark the test with comments that come to mind. As you work, put a star beside any questions that you would like to go over again when you finish the test.
- Relax. Before starting the test, imagine yourself somewhere where you are calm and confident. Go there in your mind. Focus on how good you feel and how in control you are. If you become anxious during the test, in your mind go to the calming place. Focus on how calm you feel. Then go back to your test.
- Read the directions carefully. This may be obvious, but it will help you avoid careless errors.
- Answer questions in a strategic order. Answer the easy questions first. This will help to build confidence and score points. It may also help you make connections with more difficult questions. Then answer the difficult questions. Work on these harder questions with all the energy of the easier ones.
- Review your answers. Resist the urge to hand in your test as soon as you are done writing. Spend as much time as you can going over your test to see if you answered all the questions and check for errors.
3. Feeling too much mental pressure
There are many reasons why a student may feel mental pressure when writing a test. Listed below are a few main reasons:
- Negative beliefs about one’s math abilities
- Low self-esteem when it comes to math
- Too high expectations of success
- Fear that failure or low grades will affect the future
- Feelings of pressure of not wanting to let down family members
When students feel this kind of pressure, it is very hard to feel calm and relaxed about a test. The key to success in a math test is to keep the anxiety at a manageable level. You can do this in two ways:
Change negative self-talk. Any time a negative thought creeps into your head, it will make it harder to stay positive and relaxed about your test. If you have a negative thought like “I can’t do it”, try to replace it with a positive thought like “I can do this”.
Use relaxing and calming techniques. Use the calming breathing mentioned earlier in this section. This will help you keep calm. Also, do not study in the last half hour before the test. You will be calmer by spending time relaxing and breathing deeply in that last half hour.
4. Poor health habits before writing a test
When your body and mind are healthy, you will have a better chance of doing well on a test. Eat well, drink plenty of water and get daily exercise. The better you feel, the better you will do.
