Let your morning routine push you

Well, it’s not restricted to the morning routine. I have two simple suggestions to incorporate whenever you brush and take a shower.

Let’s begin with brushing. Use your non-dominant hand to brush! It will feel frustrating to start with, but you will get used to it in a week or two. Let me list a few reasons to do this and a few things you could incorporate as well:

1. You will become a bit more ambidextrous. Of course, you won’t be able to start writing with your non-dominant hand, but you will get a tiny bit better, especially in places where coarse-grained motor skills are involved. I have been brushing my left hand for a few weeks now, and when I recently played Table Tennis, I was surprised to see that I could use my left hand much better than I had expected (but of course, I never tested myself before to see how well I play with my left hand).

2. You will witness the formation of a new habit. You may want to set reminders, to begin with, but in just a matter of two weeks or so, you would have picked up an entirely new habit. Isn’t that great? Wouldn’t that make you confident that you can pick up new habits?

3. Brushing is a great time to practice mindfulness. It is rich sensorily: it produces sounds, you can taste the paste, feel the brush, etc. Close your eyes and feel it. For the bulk of our lives, we have been brushing without thinking about it. But when you switch to your non-dominant hand, since you have to pay attention, it is an excellent opportunity to use “habit stacking” and start a new habit of being mindful.

This last point is what brings to taking a shower. Showers are a nice time to let the mind wander to distant lands and bring back new ideas, but they are also a great time to practice mindfulness and focusing. You can focus on the water flowing on your body, the sounds, and the feelings.

So go ahead and start brushing with your non-dominant hand starting tomorrow morning! Ready for the challenge?