Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Practice writing
• Part 2 of 3: Retrain your brain
• Part 3 of 3: Strengthening your left hand
• Tips
• Warnings

Performing tasks with your non-dominant hand creates new connections in the brain. Below are some simple steps you can take to learn to write with your left hand.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Practice writing

1. Understand the complexity of writing with the left as a right-handed person. In order to keep your non-dominant hand under control, your brain will literally have to form new neural connections.
   • This is not a quick or easy process and you should be willing to practice for several hours if you plan on becoming ambidextrous.
   • Learning these motor skills will likely help you understand and appreciate what a baby's life is like.
2. Start slow. Start writing the alphabet in capital letters in both lowercase and uppercase letters. Then write down complete sentences. When you can easily write in block letters, you start practicing writing letters.
   • If your handwriting is very sloppy at first, start outlining large letters and words from a book or magazine. Buying writing paper for children can also help. This paper has lines with large gaps in between so that you can write large letters, as well as dotted lines in the middle so that you use the correct proportions when writing.
   • It's also a good idea to see how left-handed people write or ask them for some tips.
3. Practice writing all the letters. Write phrases like "Dad's wise lynx piously looked at the hefty aqueduct" or "The school teacher brutally caught the quasi-calm lynx" over and over again so that you learn to write more and more neatly with your left hand. These are good sentences because they contain all letters from the Dutch alphabet.
   • Also practice writing the most commonly used words in the Dutch language, because then you will teach your muscles the most commonly used letter combinations. Here you can find a list of the most commonly used words in the Dutch language.
   • Be prepared that the muscles in your left arm and hand will be quite sore after this writing exercise. This is because you are using certain muscles for the first time.
4. Draw simple shapes. Drawing simple shapes will strengthen your left hand and help you control your pen or pencil.
   • For example, draw stick puppets, square houses with rectangular chimneys or cats with round heads and triangular ears. Your goal is to become ambidextrous, not to become as good as Rembrandt.
   • Also try to color the shapes to make it easier to work with your left hand.
   • In addition, try to draw straight lines from left to right with your left hand. You will now learn to push the pen instead of pulling it.
5. Learn mirror writing. For left-handers, it is easier to pull the pen to the left instead of pushing it to the right. Therefore, it is easier to write backwards with your left hand than in the right direction.
   • You can just write backwards from right to left or you can practice mirror writing, where the letters are mirrored.
   • Writing backwards is also helpful because you don't smear the ink or tear the paper when writing with a pen. However, your texts will not be easy for others to read, so only write in your diary like that (just like Leonardo DaVinci!).
6. Use the correct pens. Liquid ink pens and especially gel pens are worth a try, as they require less pressure and force to be applied while writing.
   • This will allow you to write more comfortably and less likely to get a cramped hand at the end of your practice session.
   • Just make sure to use quick-drying ink, otherwise you'll smudge the text when you move your left hand across the page.
7. Be realistic. Don't expect to be able to write well with links within a day. It takes a lot of time to learn to write neatly and legibly with your non-dominant hand.

Part 2 of 3: Retrain your brain

1. Resist the urge to do everything with your right hand or right foot. You will be amazed when you find out how deeply entrenched this habit is - both physically and mentally. By breaking this habit, your brain can cope with more complicated tasks later on with your left hand.
   • By default, if you open doors with your right hand, open them with your left hand from now on.
   • If you usually take the first step with your right foot when climbing stairs, use your left foot from now on.
   • Keep working on it until it feels natural and easy for you to do everything with your left hand or left foot first.
2. Perform simple everyday tasks with your left hand. Good activities to start with include:
   • Food (especially if you use a spoon)
   • Blow your nose
   • Do the dishes
   • Toothbrushing
   • Enter a phone number or write a text message on a mobile phone
3. Practice with more precise movements. Now that you can easily make coarse movements such as scrubbing and brushing with your left hand, start refining your hand-eye coordination.
   • Outlines is a good practice to start with. If you have a clear form to work with, your eye, which outlines the form visually, and your left hand, which physically outlines the form, will be forced to work together.
   • Trace your right hand on a piece of paper. Pushing the pencil along the three-dimensional contours will allow your left hand to make the correct movements.
   • Continue to outline two-dimensional images. You can think of this as removing the raised edges along a bowling alley.
4. Tie the fingers of your right hand together. The hardest part is remembering to use your right hand all the time during your day. So you need something to remind you not to use your dominant hand.
   • When using your dominant hand you almost always use your thumb. Tying your right thumb to your right index finger with a string will prevent you from moving your thumb freely. This is an excellent way to make yourself aware of all the times you use your thumb.
   • You could also try wearing a glove on your right hand or putting your right hand in your pocket or behind your back.

Part 3 of 3: Strengthening your left hand

1. Practice throwing a ball. Throwing and catching a ball with your left hand is a fun way to strengthen your left hand while improving hand-eye coordination. You can also strengthen your fingers by holding the ball firmly with your hand.
2. Play racket sports. By playing tennis, squash or badminton with the racket in your left hand you can make your hand stronger. This gives you better control of your hand when you write.
3. Lift weights. Use a small weight of 2.5 pounds or less and lift it with your left hand. You can also strengthen your fingers individually by lifting a very small weight and using a different finger from your left hand each time.
4. Use your left hand to operate your computer. Flip the buttons on your mouse so that you can use it with your left hand. Also try pressing the space bar with your left hand. That is more difficult than you think.

Tips

• Try to write slowly at first. If you write too quickly you could hurt your hand.
• Take it easy when you practice writing left. Don't get stressed if you don't manage very well.
• Try to hold the pen or pencil the same way you do with your right hand.
• Try not to move your left hand too much when performing a task. Your left hand will only vibrate or shake. Just try to stay relaxed and calm.
• You can also write a letter or draw a shape with your right hand and compare it to the shape or letter you wrote with your left hand.
• Are you left-handed and would you like to learn to write right-handed? Then do everything in this article, but exactly the other way around. For example, left becomes right.
• Practice writing on a whiteboard.
• Also, practice with a stylus on a tablet. You don't need to use a lot of force and still use your left hand.

Warnings

• Make sure to rest your arm and hand often. Using them too much can overload them. Be careful.
• Left-handed people should push the pen over the writing surface while writing if they are writing in Dutch, English, German, French or another language that is written from left to right. This can tear the paper, but this problem is easily solved with the correct writing position and pen. This is not a problem if you are writing something in Hebrew, Arabic or any other language written from right to left on the left.
• In some cases this can be difficult or cause health problems.