Definition of Math Anxiety

One definition of math anxiety is “the panic, helplessness, paralysis, and mental disorganization that arises among some people when they are required to solve a mathematical problem”. Math anxiety is a serious and pervasive problem.
Students may experience math anxiety in many forms and degrees, from “freezing up” during a math exam, to attempting to avoid anything having to do with numbers. Symptoms may be physical or psychological and may
include (but not be limited to) any of the following:
Physical: Nausea, shortness-of-breath, sweating, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure.
Psychological: Memory loss, paralysis of thought, loss of self-confidence, negative self-talk, math avoidance, isolation (thinking you are the only one who feels this way).