5 Look after yourself

• Relaxation – you may like to try diaphragmatic breathing or mindfulness to get in the right frame of mind prior to embarking on the maths activities. Recognise that working through these processes can be tiring and you may need to rest more and take more frequent breaks as you begin to work through your maths anxiety.
• Celebrate small successes with mini rewards – e.g. a cup of coffee, or 5 minutes of phone scrolling after you have completed 15 minutes focused on a maths problem.
• Exercise – moving around even if it is for a short period of time can help you to burn off some adrenaline and allow any unpleasant physical responses to dissipate. Take a walk, carry out some short exercises or move to the kitchen to make a drink.
• Remove distractions – for example, put your phone in another room, or at least out of reach and on silent.