Proven Benefits of Being Left Handed

Advantages of being left-handed

We often end up complaining about the frustrations of being left-handed, but there are plenty of advantages as well.

With only about 10% of the population being left-handed, lefties are a serious minority. While they’ve endured a serious amount of prejudice (the word for left in almost every language has a less then positive connotation) and even aggression over the years, today, many left-handed people are proud of their unusual handedness. And why not? After all, they have to survive and thrive in a world designed for those who are right handed. The next time someone teases you about your left-handedness, bring up one of these facts that show that being left-handed just might be a genetic blessing after all, offering you bigger and better abilities that can help you do everything from get a degree to kick butt at video games.

Left-handed stroke victims recover faster than right handed stroke victims. While the reasons behind this aren’t entirely clear, some believe it’s due to left-handed people having to strengthen both sides of the brain when navigating a right handed world. Because many lefties are better able to use their non-dominant hand, it is easier for them to recover from a stroke that damages one part of their brain. Of course, recovery for those suffering from stroke is never easy, no matter which is their dominant hand.

Left-handed people adjust more easily to seeing underwater.

Bizarre as it may sound, one of the benefits of being left-handed is being able to adjust to see the world around you when you’re underwater. While you may not need this ability very often, it could come in handy if you live by the sea or enjoy swimming. While it’s not clear why this is so, scientists think it has something to do with a different part of the brain being dominant in lefthanded individuals.

Lefties are better able to multi-task. One of the advantages of being left-handed is that it forces your brain to think more quickly. What this means for everyday life is that those who are lefties may find it easier to multi-task and deal with a large, sometimes unorganised stream of information. Researchers found that conversations between the left and right sides of the brain happen more quickly in left-handed people. The more dominant the left-handedness is, the better these abilities are.

Some left-handed individuals have better memories.

While it isn’t true for all who are left-handed, data from recent studies suggests that those who come from families of lefties tend to have better memories, though only of the episodic kind. The odd thing about this study, however, was that individuals didn’t necessarily need to be left-handed themselves to have a better memory - just come from a family of lefties.

As well as being the first ever store in the world to focus on left-handed products (back in 1968), we are first and foremost a one stop shop for products, knowledge, help and community.

Whether you were born left-handed or now have to use your left hand through accident or illness, we aim to provide solutions to help with many of the challenges that still face us in a right handed world.

Call 01737 888269 www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk