Tips for anyone struggling with maths at work

Aoife

[image description: two people holding a banner that says 'Number Confidence Week']

Hi everyone,

As part of Number Confidence Week, we're sharing tips from the National Numeracy charity about how to feel confident if you're struggling with maths at work. If you have any tips, share them below

1. Don't rush - maths at work is not a race
Feeling under pressure to get answers quickly can make us feel even more anxious about maths. Stop and think about how much time you have and use it if you need to. Being calm and taking time to find a process that works for you will help you get the right answer.

2. Ask for support with your maths if you need it
It can be hard to speak up if we are struggling. But if you do point out an area you need help with employers are often very supportive. Workplaces may have learning programmes in place already, or you can try the National Numeracy Challenge to support your number confidence.

3. Talk about how maths makes you feel
Many of us think we will look silly or be judged if we say we find maths uncomfortable. But many people find working with numbers hard and often your colleagues will feel the same. Just like when we feel anxious about other things, sharing how we feel about maths and listening to other people who feel the same way can really help.

4. Take away the pressure of being around other people
Often people feel stressed when they’re doing maths in front of other people. Finding a space away from colleagues to tackle maths tasks can help us feel less pressured. If that’s not possible, try asking people to give you some time and space to work it out and come back with the answer later. If you work around customers, if possible, why not step away from the shop floor for a moment to work something out?

5. Break down the task into smaller parts
It’s easy to feel defeated when you see a big task with lots of numbers in front of you. You might feel anxious even before you start. But very often big tasks can be split into smaller ones, that feel much easier to solve. Focusing on smaller tasks can feel less daunting and your confidence will grow as you succeed with each smaller part.

We hope you found these tips helpful, comment below if you have any tips to share. If you want to see more content about Number Confidence Week, you can follow National Numeracy and #NumberConfidenceWeek on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook).

Former Member

I guess this doesn't help with learning the maths, but at work I do a lot of reporting where I have to present lots of different percentages and there is lots of room for human error. I use an online percentage calculator which means I can complete my work more speedily and minimises me making mistakes.

Aoife

This is a great idea @Friendlyneighbour. I remember finding percentages tricky to do at school and didn't realise there's online calculators that you can use. Thank you for sharing this tip with us all

Dancer

I found out that Rachel Riley has recently published a book to do with Maths that might be helpful to people on here.

Former Member

Question.. I work in a school and struggle with maths. I've always found maths tricky! If anyone has any suggestions on how to help solve maths questions.. please fill me in!
These tips and advice are good but not really helpful for those who work in education! Still good for every day life!