When French mathematician Laurent Schwartz was in high school, he began to worry that he wasn't smart enough to solve math problems. Maybe you know the same feeling of Unusual nervousness when doing or thinking about math.
Why am I scared of math? Mathematical anxiety , also known as Math Phobia, is the intense emotional tension and uneasiness experienced during both learning math topics, trying to understand math topics, and trying to solve math problems. For example, math anxiety in students, you are about to take a math exam and you feel your heart beat faster and your palms start to sweat. Butterflies fly in your stomach and you cannot concentrate. Very simply, this is what is called “math phobia”.
If this is happening to you, you are not alone. Researchers think that 20% of the population suffers from this problem.
Some psychologists consider it a diagnosable condition, negative experiences of maths learning in classroom or home or nervous about Numbers but having math anxiety doesn't necessarily mean you're bad at math.
For example, Lauren Schwartz won the Fields medal, the most valuable prize in mathematics. Because for some reason she was intimidated by math,.People may think that they are afraid of math because they are bad at math, but this is usually not true. They often fall short in math just because of their anxiety.
Some psychologists think it's because math phobia reduces a cognitive resource called working memory.
It is the short-term memory system in your brain that helps you gather the information you need to complete a task during work and processing. Fear of not being able to solve math problems or not passing a test well eats up working memory, making it less possible to tackle math.
People can grapple with even basic math skills they've mastered, such as arithmetic. Academic anxiety isn't limited to math, of course, but it looks like it's going to happen much more often and cause more harm in this area.
So what is the reason for math phobia?
Researchers aren't sure yet, but some studies point to this because children are poorly exposed to math by their parents and teachers, who play a big role in their lives.
If parents talk about math as if it's challenging and unfamiliar, kids can embrace it. Teachers with math anxiety are also likely to pass it on to their students.
Also, the pressure to solve problems quickly invokes more stress.
In some cultures, being good at math is considered a sign of being smart. When the allegations are this high, it's not surprising that students are worried.
Even the influential mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the Fields medal, had lost her confidence and interest in mathematics. Because his middle school math teacher thought he was untalented.
If you or someone in your family has a fear or anxiety about math, you can:
Anzan Sparklers focuses on brain development using mental calculation and memory training. It uses math and memory as simple tools to engage the mind, bridging the left (that focuses on logic and arithmetic) and right (that focuses on creativity and imagination) hemispheres of the brain, by using pictures to represent numbers, and numbers to represent pictures. This further improves their concentration, focus, and other abilities. Click the link to learn more about the Anzan-sparkler course.
Regardless, if you take a look at yourself, you're more than likely to see people around you experiencing the same things as you.
Remember, anxiety is not a reflection of your ability, but something you can conquer with time and awareness.