I might be a bit biased since I am a leftie myself, but I think that left-handed people are some of the most creative and innovative people out there! :-) So today, I thought I’d share 10 of my best “hacks” for left-handed folks, as well as a few interesting facts about lefties! For the right-handed people reading this post, you’re very welcome here, so don’t worry. (As long as you share this post with all your favorite lefties!) ;-)
Left-Handed Facts & Figures
Only 12% of people are left-handed, and males are twice as likely as females to be left-handed.
Left-handed people are, on average, 15% richer than right-handed people.
On the other hand (heh heh), left-handed people are 3x more likely than right-handed people to struggle with alcohol addiction.
Four of the last seven U.S. presidents have been left-handed.
Some notable lefties include Michelangelo, Bill Gates, Marie Curie, David Bowie, and Mark Twain. (So you’re in good company!)
10 Hacks Just for Lefties
1. Smartphones
The “accessibility” category in your smartphone’s settings menu should have options that make it easier for lefties to access different parts of the screen.
2. Computer Mouse
If you would prefer to use your computer mouse with your left hand, you can easily change the mouse settings. Set it so that the right-side button is the primary button for selecting, and set the left-side button as the secondary button.
3. Smudge-Free Writing
Look for rollerball pens – they’re less likely to smudge while you write. Hard lead pencils will smudge less, as will wet-erase markers (as opposed to dry-erase).
4. Can Openers
Rather than struggling with a right-handed can opener, just spend a few extra dollars on an electric can opener! They’re really easy to use, and fairly inexpensive.
5. Notebooks
Spiral-bound notebooks can be annoying to write in for lefties. One way to get around this is to use filler paper in a binder. Then you can remove the paper to write on it, and place it back in the binder when you’re done. Or just opt for composition-style notebooks instead of spiral-bound.
6. Writing
For a left-handed writer, the prime paper position is slightly to the left of your body, with the right side of the paper angled towards you.
7. Dining
Sit at the left edge of a dining table if you can! That way your left elbow won’t be knocking into someone else’s right elbow.
8. Makeup
Use angled brushes to apply your makeup. It takes a bit of getting used to, but since I’ve started using them I’ve been smudging my makeup much less often!
9. Simplicity
Instead of seeking out products especially for lefties, just choose the simplest version of the item you’re looking for. For instance, ice cream scoops with buttons have them on the right side, but you can just get a plain, button-free scoop instead.
10. Find More Tips
There are tons of tips for lefties that you can find online! Just Google “tips for left-handed ______” (like cooks, crafters, musicians, etc.)
Are you a leftie? Do you have any tips to share?
NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?
Jill Nystul is an accomplished writer and author who founded the blog One Good Thing by Jillee in 2011. With over 30 years of experience in homemaking, she has become a trusted resource for contemporary homemakers by offering practical solutions to everyday household challenges.I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!
Thanks Jillee , This is really helpful for those struggling with their lefthandedness. I was born in 1950 so there wasn’t much out there for me, like there is today. I was very fortunate to have a very progressive third grade teacher who introduced the right handed tilt to paper when teaching cursive writing for us lefties. Now there are stores for lefties and handy utensils of all kinds . I was in my late 20’s with one of my two girls being a lefty also. I happening to go to a workshop at our church that addressed learning disabilities and found out they consider left handedness a learning disability but one that is usually compensates for by learning to use tools differently. I had to turn scissors upside down to cut……….there were no left handed scissors. Writing tablets that tear from the top was a huge breakthrough or little spiral tablets with tear out pages.
One of the biggest revelations was finding out during that lecture was that lefties actually read from right to left and then reprocess from left to right . When helping children with beginning or end sounds or increasing reading speeds using a green dot on the left hand side and red on the right can help. Lefties actually read it twice so retention is higher. Yes, and they are definitely very creative ! If I remember correctly , Leonardo Da Vinci wrote his journals backwards and finally someone held them in a mirror to decipher them.
Some of this really helped me and helped me with a gifted child who has been teaching elementary school for almost twenty years now.
I’m a lefty too.I remember being told about some lefties being forced to change. My Mom is left handed too. As is my Grandma ( her mother) , who I never really knew – long story. Great ideas.
If they had tried to force me to be right handed I would’ve had a big time fit. I’ve heard stories from others about forcing people to be right handed. I’m surprised the Nuns didn’t get complaints about it. That’s a form of abuse tying someone’s hand and forcing it on them.
With the exception of my Mom, all the women, on both sides of my family for the last 4 generations have all been left handed. Wouldn’t you know it, I married myself a Southpaw. Unfortunately we weren’t able to have kids but it would have been nice to see if the left-handedness continued.
I too had a person in my life, “my dad,” he used to yell at me all the time for using my left hand. I grew up insecure, became an alcoholic, & im about to kill him because I heard him tell my niece his granddaughter she had to use her right hand. I’ve heard through my life some people think it’s a sign of autism, maybe that’s why he was such a raging jerk to me
When in my mid thirties, someone at work watched me tie my shoes and then commented that I must be left handed. I am not. I forgot about it and woke up in the wee hours the next morning. I remembered my father teaching me to tie my shoes! Both of my parents were lefties as are two of my three brothers. My son who learned from me, also ties his shoes “backwards”. My mom gave up teaching me to sew or do embroidery. I had to learn from a book.
I’m in my mid thirties right now, and this just happened to me a year or so ago. Someone mentioned the same thing while I was tying my shoes but I’m right handed. A few months later it came up in conversation with my parents and my mom said it must be because dad taught me! I actually treasure that backwards skill, it reminds me of him every day.
I’m a leftie, and decades ago, teachers atempted to “train” me to use my right hand. My dad went to the school, and in no uncertain terms told the teacher to let me be and let me use my left hand, that there was nothing “wrong” with being left handed. I feel that is why I write much like a right handed person, as I was allowed to turn the paper the proper way for a leftie, instead of angled in such a way that makes many lefties twist their wrists to conform to a right handed persons angled paper.
I deliver mail and use a right hand drive jeep…so now I have a vehicle made for lefties!!! People often ask if it was hard to get used to, and I always say “NO! I’m left handed so it was natural for me!”
Thank you for this post! I have a 6 year old daughter who is left handed, a first for mon petite famille. It’s awesome to find more ways to make her feel more at ease using her left hand.
Thanks Jillee , This is really helpful for those struggling with their lefthandedness. I was born in 1950 so there wasn’t much out there for me, like there is today. I was very fortunate to have a very progressive third grade teacher who introduced the right handed tilt to paper when teaching cursive writing for us lefties. Now there are stores for lefties and handy utensils of all kinds . I was in my late 20’s with one of my two girls being a lefty also. I happening to go to a workshop at our church that addressed learning disabilities and found out they consider left handedness a learning disability but one that is usually compensates for by learning to use tools differently. I had to turn scissors upside down to cut……….there were no left handed scissors. Writing tablets that tear from the top was a huge breakthrough or little spiral tablets with tear out pages.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One of the biggest revelations was finding out during that lecture was that lefties actually read from right to left and then reprocess from left to right . When helping children with beginning or end sounds or increasing reading speeds using a green dot on the left hand side and red on the right can help. Lefties actually read it twice so retention is higher. Yes, and they are definitely very creative ! If I remember correctly , Leonardo Da Vinci wrote his journals backwards and finally someone held them in a mirror to decipher them.
Some of this really helped me and helped me with a gifted child who has been teaching elementary school for almost twenty years now.
I’m a lefty too.I remember being told about some lefties being forced to change. My Mom is left handed too. As is my Grandma ( her mother) , who I never really knew – long story. Great ideas.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If they had tried to force me to be right handed I would’ve had a big time fit. I’ve heard stories from others about forcing people to be right handed. I’m surprised the Nuns didn’t get complaints about it. That’s a form of abuse tying someone’s hand and forcing it on them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.With the exception of my Mom, all the women, on both sides of my family for the last 4 generations have all been left handed. Wouldn’t you know it, I married myself a Southpaw. Unfortunately we weren’t able to have kids but it would have been nice to see if the left-handedness continued.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I too had a person in my life, “my dad,” he used to yell at me all the time for using my left hand. I grew up insecure, became an alcoholic, & im about to kill him because I heard him tell my niece his granddaughter she had to use her right hand. I’ve heard through my life some people think it’s a sign of autism, maybe that’s why he was such a raging jerk to me
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When in my mid thirties, someone at work watched me tie my shoes and then commented that I must be left handed. I am not. I forgot about it and woke up in the wee hours the next morning. I remembered my father teaching me to tie my shoes! Both of my parents were lefties as are two of my three brothers. My son who learned from me, also ties his shoes “backwards”. My mom gave up teaching me to sew or do embroidery. I had to learn from a book.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m in my mid thirties right now, and this just happened to me a year or so ago. Someone mentioned the same thing while I was tying my shoes but I’m right handed. A few months later it came up in conversation with my parents and my mom said it must be because dad taught me! I actually treasure that backwards skill, it reminds me of him every day.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m a leftie, and decades ago, teachers atempted to “train” me to use my right hand. My dad went to the school, and in no uncertain terms told the teacher to let me be and let me use my left hand, that there was nothing “wrong” with being left handed. I feel that is why I write much like a right handed person, as I was allowed to turn the paper the proper way for a leftie, instead of angled in such a way that makes many lefties twist their wrists to conform to a right handed persons angled paper.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I deliver mail and use a right hand drive jeep…so now I have a vehicle made for lefties!!! People often ask if it was hard to get used to, and I always say “NO! I’m left handed so it was natural for me!”
Thank you for this post! I have a 6 year old daughter who is left handed, a first for mon petite famille. It’s awesome to find more ways to make her feel more at ease using her left hand.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.