Michelangelo, Einstein, Tesla, Leonardo da Vinci, and Truman can all use their hands equally. In art, drawing using both hands at once is called tribalogy. Below are some tips so you can balance your two-handed skills drawn from various books and internet sources.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Writing and Drawing
Step 1. Start writing or drawing with both hands
Get some paper ready, then start drawing butterflies, vases, symmetrical objects, letters, shapes, or whatever. At first, your writing skills will be chaotic. However, keep practicing writing at least two lines every day. In the illustration above, the artist uses a two-handed technique called "hand mirroring".
Step 2. Write with your non-dominant hand
You can write with your non-dominant hand, you just have to practice it continuously. Your hands may feel tired at first, but that's just a sign that you need to rest for a while. Over time, the fatigue will go away by itself.
- Use a good quality pen so you can write fluently. Also use good quality paper.
- Don't touch your pen. You'll feel like you want to hold the pen in your hand as hard as you can. As a result, your hand will grip the pen with all your might, but this will only make it difficult for you to write effectively and may hurt your fingers. Pay attention to the position of your hands, and relax occasionally.
Step 3. Practice writing with your non-dominant hand until you get used to it
Each day, write down an alphabetical list using your non-dominant hand, in both lowercase, uppercase and cursive. At first, your hands will shake a lot and the letters won't look as neat as if they were written in your dominant hand. However, if you keep practicing, your handwriting will gradually improve.
If you are left-handed and trying to write with your right hand, tilt the paper 30 degrees counterclockwise. On the other hand, if your right hand is dominant and you're working your left hand, tilt the paper 30 degrees clockwise
Step 4. Write with your dominant hand in front of a mirror so you know how to write with the opposite hand
This will give you a visual clue and your brain will be able to better imagine the action of writing.
Step 5. Do useful exercises, for example:
- Use your non-dominant hand to write "Muharjo is a universal xenophobe who fears the people of the peninsula, for example Qatar." or something. The sentence is a pangram sentence, which contains all the letters in the Indonesian alphabet list.
- You can also use a short paragraph and rewrite it several times. Pay attention to the differences between each letter you repeat and whether you need to correct certain letters.
Step 6. Write zigzags
For your next challenge, write left-to-right (normal direction) with your right hand, and right-to-left with your right. Write an inverted sentence that will appear correct when viewed in a mirror (called a boustrophedon). This is useful because right-handed people are used to writing "from thumb to little finger" and will be able to write more naturally if they write backwards when using their left hand.
Step 7. Practice the long one, at least a month
Over time you will be able to write with your non-dominant hand with just a few mistakes.
Method 2 of 3: Building Strength
Step 1. Build the strength of your non-dominant hand
Try lifting weights with your non-dominant hand so that the muscles tighten. Start with light weights and work your way up to heavier weights.
Method 3 of 3: Other Activities
Step 1. Do another activity with your non-dominant hand
Even if you only want to balance the skills of both hands for certain activities, you should still use your non-dominant hand for various other activities because the skills of these activities will also affect the activities you want to do. Use your non-dominant hand for all activities. If you want to use your non-dominant hand to do something efficiently, you'll need to practice that hand more often than your dominant hand. In addition, if you do not use your dominant hand at all, you will also be more accustomed to using your non-dominant hand.
Step 2. Try cooking with your non-dominant hand
Mix the egg or cookie dough with your weak hands. When stirring or mixing, use the same hand gestures you used when writing the cursive with your hand.
Step 3. Do easy things even with your non-dominant hand
If you're used to brushing your teeth, using a spoon, grinding onions, or throwing a ball with your dominant hand, do so with your non-dominant hand. There are many easy things you can do every day with your non-dominant hand. If you do these things continuously, the skills of both your hands will be more balanced.
Step 4. If you can do easy things, start doing things that require precise coordination with your non-dominant hand
For example writing upside down, playing billiards, or cutting fish. This way, your brain will be quicker and more accustomed to imagining things you normally do with your dominant hand in reverse. This "mirroring" skill will also develop as you use your non-dominant hand more often to do things. You can also skip the three steps above if you want to quickly balance your two-handed skills or you are someone who gets bored quickly with easy things.
Step 5. Get in the habit of using your non-dominant hand for all things that are complex but harmless
If you get used to it, your initially non-dominant hand will outperform your dominant hand. If you start by getting used to using both hands, your non-dominant hand skills will catch up with your dominant hand skills, but these skills will quickly disappear and be replaced by the initially dominant hand skills. This is because the muscle memory in your non-dominant hand will be shorter than that in your dominant hand.
Step 6. Learn to play throwing the ball
Start with three and four balls. This is a good way to train your weak hands.
Step 7. Play a musical instrument using both hands
For example, play the piano, flute, guitar, saxophone, etc. By doing so, you will strengthen your non-dominant hand and improve skills for both hands and arms. However, playing the piano will only strengthen your hands.
Tips
- Be patient, take it slow, you will get used to it in time.
- If you want to be fast, write a paragraph from left to right each day using your non-dominant hand. You will get used to it after one to two weeks.
- Don't expect your writing to be perfect after a week of practicing with your non-dominant hand. Remember, you need more than a week of practice to write well with your dominant hand! You can also buy handwriting exercise books designed for children and work on the exercises.
- Practice writing with your non-dominant hand every day for 15 minutes. After a lot of practice, try writing with both hands!
- If your non-dominant hand is weak and you want to use it for heavy equipment or activities, use a large weight ball to work your hands and fingers. That way, when you pick up the phone or use the mouse, etc., your hands get used to it.
- Reverse your activities. Simultaneously, do things clockwise and counterclockwise.
- You can also exercise with your weak hand, if during this time you usually exercise with your dominant hand.
- You can also practice by painting your nails.
- When writing paragraphs each day, write different paragraphs so that your hands don't get used to just one paragraph.
- Throw the ball and catch it with your non-dominant hand.
- Use your non-dominant hand to write at school and at work.
Warning
- If you shave with your non-dominant hand, be careful. Since you're not used to using those hands, you could slip and injure your face or feet. You should also be careful when nailing with a weak hand.
- When practicing balancing both hands, don't use only your non-dominant hand. Eventually your dominant hand will become weak.
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There are several side effects that can occur when the dominant hand is changed:
- spatial disorientation (not sure right or left)
- memory impairment (especially remembering things learned)
- legastenic problems or dyslexia (eg problems with writing and reading)
- speech impairment (stuttering)
- impaired concentration (easily tired)
- impaired motor skills that require precision, appear in writing
