SFH #20: Brush Your Teeth with the Opposite Hand 🪥
A quick and fun way to boost a hygiene habit 🚀
I’ve been brushing my teeth with my left hand (non-dominant hand) for about a year. I also throw in some one-legged balancing to activate the double benefit of a brain and body boost.
The opposite hand brushing is a small change that I picked up from the brain coach, Jim Kwik. It felt odd at first but well worth it after a while as I noticed increased focus and quicker memory recall in the morning. The novelty is helping our brain create brain-derived neurotropic factors (BDNF) and increasing our neuroplasticity1. BDNF is a protein in the brain that is crucial for learning and adaptability.
Eventually, I combined the opposite hand tooth brushing routine with something I learned from a physical therapist many years ago. To rehab my foot and ankle and continue to work on my strength and balance, she recommended I balance with a balance disc for 30 seconds to a minute each leg while brushing my teeth.
It’s a challenge to keep the combined habit up but always so gratifying when I get it done in the morning.
As you add these small changes along the way, they will create a sum of more considerable health benefits in the long run! Jim’s book, ‘Limitless,’ is chock-full with great quick tips from brain-boosting activity.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10583489/