I’m drowning in everyday maths. Next week is unionlearn’s Maths Workout (#mathsworkout) campaign week and that made me think what I do with maths. The message of the campaign is to check out if there are areas of your maths skills that need improving

But I thought that maybe we also need to acknowledge all the ways we come across maths daily. I started to pay attention to maths and here are some observations from a policy officer’s maths day:

Wake up at 5am because partner snores and go back to sleep. Telling time is a maths skill though so I’ve started early.

Stare at the blueberries in my cereal and wonder if there’s enough of them to last the rest of the week and how much sugar is there again in my cereal.

Watch the news while munching my breakfast and there’s always something about economy or stats

Keep an eye on the clock again.

Get to work where things hot up. Numbers everywhere. Percentages and graphs in research reports, organising travel to regional events, dashing to shop for toothpaste during the lunch break and wondering if I have enough cash, checking out where I am with the campaign budget spreadsheet and invoices for materials ordered in and so on.

At home we discuss Christmas plans which include booking flights and buying presents. And what is the exchange rate for euros now. My partner tries to interest me into discussing what to do with a saving account that earns 0.01 percent of interest. Or something like that. My eyes are glazing over.

Go to bed at 11pm and think for a while that in the past I’d have written 23.00 instead of 11pm to tell the time.

Now I wonder if I actually paid attention to all the maths around me or did I just recognise the obvious. Either way, good maths skills are essential for work and life in general.

We like to talk about all the research stats and what they say about lack of adults’ maths skills. Such as the OECD report which says that more than a quarter of working aged adults (16-65) in England with low English and maths skills or both.

Most people don’t want to be a statistic anyway but everybody has to make the best use of their skills in their daily lives. So let’s talk about noticing where and when we use maths.

How about putting together your own maths journal for a day? And having a chat with the friendly union learning rep in your workplace to see what the options for brushing up maths skills are. Or take the first step by checking the union learning centre directory to find helpful advice.

And here we go again. It’s 5.00 o’clock in the morning.