How Using Your Non-Dominant Hand Changes Your Brain

The secret tip that builds willpower muscle

If you’re doing anything that requires willpower – like dieting or cutting back on spending – try using your non-dominant hand more often.

So if you’re a righty, stir your coffee with your left hand – and hold the cup in your left hand. Reach for door handles with your left – et cetera. That’s because willpower is like a muscle, we need to exercise it to make it stronger. And using our non-dominant hand takes our brain off auto-pilot, forcing us to focus and think more.

That comes from psychologist Roy Baumeister, the author of “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength.” He says, by overriding habits that we don’t even think about – it’ll make it easier to override bad habits. 

So it’s best if we start our day by brushing our teeth with our non-dominant hand. That wakes up the brain and starts increasing willpower right away.