Doing math in your head can be a real challenge, and it's no wonder why. Research has shown that the brain power devoted to mathematics can take away from the concentration and focus needed to keep motor neurons active and prevent fatigue. To combat this, it's important to take breaks and do something else. Working too hard for too long can lead to diminishing returns, so if you need to lie down and take a nap, do it.
It's also important to make sure you're taking care of yourself in other ways. Exercise, get enough sleep, eat healthy, and do fun activities. This is why the 40-hour work week is so beneficial - it allows you to do other things that help you stay mentally sharp. Many children feel anxious about math because it's seen as a difficult subject.
There's also a stereotype that girls aren't good at math, which can be damaging. However, research has shown that people with high math anxiety tend to perform poorly in mathematics-related tasks, such as SATs or lab work. It's common for children to feel confident in math when they're younger, only to hit a roadblock in high school when the subject becomes more conceptual. To help children become more comfortable with math, there are websites and apps that present math anecdotes suitable for different ages and abilities.
Even college students who have already completed two semesters of calculus as a prerequisite for their class can benefit from these resources. In addition to these resources, it's important to remember that not everyone is good at math - it's something that people are either really good at or not. A 2001 study by Mark Ashcraft and Elizabeth Kirk showed that people with mathematical anxiety had a decrease in working memory capacity when doing calculation-based tasks, but not when doing verbally based tasks. This indicates that their working memory was only affected when their math anxiety was triggered.
Benjamin Braun, professor of mathematics and blog editor of the American Mathematics Society, found that more than half of the students he surveyed in an upper-level mathematics course admitted they feared they weren't good at math. To help children become more comfortable with math, parents should read with them and help them develop reading skills. Doing math for fun with parents at home is also beneficial. Additionally, try to figure out what times of day your brain is most in "math mode" and do math during those times instead of other times of day. Early in high school, Dweck studied the mathematical achievements of students with a fixed and growing mindset.
He found that those with a growth mindset were more likely to succeed in mathematics.
