Have you ever wondered what the meaning of phobia is? Well, in simple terms phobia means “fear”. Fears are of many types e.g. fear of water (hydrophobia), fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia) fear of height (alto phobia) and so on. There is also a different type of fear – fear of performance. One of those is Math Phobia, which is a fear of Mathematics. It may be defined as a feeling of anxiety that stops one from efficiently tackling mathematical problems. Many people think of math as an extremely tough subject that they cannot master. This negative attitude stops them from focusing on the subject/problem which they are tackling. Just before tests or exams they start to get nervous as they are not prepared. Some even learn and understand math but during the time of the test fear clouds their minds and they are not able to perform well. This increases the speculation in their minds that math is too tough for them.
Steps to get rid of Math Phobia:
Getting rid of one’s math phobia may be tough but not impossible. All one needs to do is to take a step at a time.
Step 1: Do some breathing exercises daily before you start the day. This will help calm your mind.
Step 2: Work on your math skills daily and try to understand the subject.
Step 3: Apply your knowledge of math in daily life.
By this the level of your math skills will increase and so will your confidence. In no time, math will be a breeze for you. The important thing is that one must focus, remain calm and avoid getting frustrated. Taking the help of an adult may help too. All in all, math phobia is an emotional condition. It may be the result of several negative experiences in the past. It can be overcome by controlling anxiety, improving math skills and having a positive attitude.
Abhishek Raghunathan , VIII, KV IIT,
