HOW TO DO THE OPPOSITE:

Change how you move by consciously exploring different ways of performing your daily activities. Observe if you:

• Answer the phone with the same hand?
• Stand up facing the same direction?
• Get out of bed on the same side?
• Reach for the printer with the same arm?
• Eat with the same hand?
• Sit in the same chair during group meetings?

Explore how you could do these activities differently:

• Place the phone on a different location on your desk.
• Talk on the phone while standing up or performing a simple movement exercise, such as squats.
• Alternate directions and consciously alternate which foot to lead with when standing up.
• Get out of bed on the opposite side; if you sleep with a partner, trade places at night (good luck).
• Use your non-dominant arm to retrieve papers from the printer.
• Alternate hands when eating, cut with the opposite hand (ok, you can practice this one when in private!)
• Sit on different sides/ends of the conference table, or in different chairs during meetings.
• Explore how you can do things differently: pouring coffee, driving home, walking across campus.

Copyright 2002 Erik Peper, Ph.D. and Katherine Hughes Gibney