How to Become Ambidextrous

A person who can use both hands equally well is considered to be ambidextrous. Although people generally have a dominant hand preference, a person who practices can become ambidextrous. Learn how to use techniques to teach yourself to become ambidextrous.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Use your opposite hand to write. Practice printing letters and numbers and when you've made improvement, attempt handwriting. Focus on angling the letters in the correct direction and using a smooth stroke to avoid a "shaky" look.
2. Perform simple daily tasks with your opposing hand. When eating, cut food using your non-dominant hand. Pick up drinks, use scissors or other tools and apply makeup with your opposite hand.
3. Exercise regularly, focusing on your opposite hand when lifting weights. An improvement in the strength of that hand encourages regular use and improves balance.
4. Test yourself to see if you've become ambidextrous. Write the same sentence using both hands and observe if any differences exist. If you can't tell the samples apart, consider yourself to be ambidextrous. If the samples vary considerably, more practice is needed.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a hard time not using your dominant hand, try tying it behind your back to force your other hand to work for you.
• Remember that even people who are ambidextrous have a dominant hand, so a tendency to use your dominant hand remains.
• Don't attempt to perform with the opposite side of the body when safety is an issue. Driving using the opposite foot, for instance, can cause confusion and an accident could occur.