As an individual who spends over eight hours every day typing and clicking, having a comfortable keyboard and mouse is just as important as having a comfortable chair. However, most individuals with desk jobs never give enough consideration to the computer accessories that they use frequently.
It's not until they usually develop strains and sprains of hands and wrists that they realize that the mouse and keyboard they are using may be taking a toll on their physical health.
Whether you are working from home or going to a physical workplace, if you are using a conventional mouse, chances are that you are putting yourself at risk of developing health conditions that can be easily avoidable if you choose appropriate accessories like an ergonomic or left-handed mouse.
Even if your left hand is not your dominant hand, you can still learn to use a left-handed mouse because of its obvious advantages. Wondering why you should consider using a left-handed mouse? Here are a few reasons why we recommend using a left-handed mouse for all individuals with a desk job, including the ones who predominantly use their right hand for performing everyday tasks.
6 Reasons You Should Consider Using a Left-Handed Mouse
Let's look at all the reasons you should consider investing in a left-handed mouse for your desk job.
#1. A Left-Handed Mouse Aids in Preventing and Reducing the Risk of Repetitive Strain Injuries
Perhaps the most significant health concern associated with frequent and regular use of a left-handed mouse is the increased risk of repetitive strain injuries. The repetitive motion involved, such as clicking, constantly strains the muscles and tendons. Making the same repetitive motions for a longer time leads to high amounts of stress on the tissues and nerves. Persistent strain results in damage to the tissues and nerves.
If you have a desk job that requires working on the screen, you are always at risk of developing repetitive strain injuries, which are often debilitating conditions that can have severe implications on your quality of life.
Hence, it's always best to take preventive measures like taking regular breaks and stretching your hands, wrists, and fingers. However, investing in a left-handed mouse is also a great idea as it will serve multiple purposes. While a left-handed mouse doesn't have a specifically designed structure to better support your left hand, the primary idea is that it frees up your dominant hand from repetitive motion. Hence, providing your right hand with the break it needs from prolonged use of the mouse.
Apart from taking regular breaks and maintaining good posture while working on your computer, using the mouse with your non-dominant hand is worth trying as it helps mitigate your risk of RSI.
#2. Use of a Left-Handed Hand Improves the Functionality of Your Non-Dominant Hand
While most individuals we know have two hands, they primarily rely on using a single hand to perform almost all tasks. Often they are unable to fully use both hands to their potential because the dexterity of one of that hands could be better. It's often more likely the case if you are right-handed, as many individuals who use their left hand learn to use their right hand quite well. For instance, many left-handed individuals play games such as first-person shooters while using the mouse with their right hand; however, that's often not the case with right-handed individuals.
Improving the functionality of your non-dominant hand may prove to be beneficial, particularly if you are involved in playing sports that require the use of both of your hands.
If you are a right-handed individual looking to improve the dexterity of your left hand, we recommend using a left-handed mouse as it always you to master the use of your non-dominant hand over time. While it may take some time before you can get used to the idea of working with your non-dominant hand, once you master it, it will serve it well in several other aspects of your life.
#3. Using a Left-Handed Mouse Doesn't Cripple Your Productivity in Emergency Situations
If you are right-handed, it's likely that you injure your dominant hand in an accident. Moreover, your dominant hand is already at a much higher risk of getting injured because it's the most frequently used hand.
In instances when you injure your right hand, it can have devastating consequences on your productivity at work as well as your quality of life.
However, if you already have the habit of using a left-handed mouse, you will be able to handle emergency situations well, as you will be used to the idea of working with your non-dominant hand. Using a left-handed mouse not only equips you to be productive at work when your dominant hand is injured, but it also prepares you to use your non-dominant hand to perform other essential everyday tasks.
#4. By Working With a Left-Handed Mouse, You Can Free Up Your Right Hand for Keyboard Use and Improve Your Productivity
When you use a left-handed mouse, you can look forward to enhanced productivity as it frees up your dominant hand. Once your right hand is free, you can do more important tasks with your right hand on the keyboard simultaneously.
For example, if you are working on an MS Word document, you can edit, or highlight the text in the document using the mouse while simultaneously working with the delete and backspace buttons using your keyboard. Working on the same document using both your mouse and keyboard can significantly save you time spend.
Similarly, you can apply the same working principles for other computer operations depending upon the nature of your work and enhance your productivity.
Using a left-handed also boosts your productivity by forcing you to use the keyboard more often, which is usually the most efficient way of getting more computer output compared to using a mouse. When you keep the usage of the mouse to a minimum, it allows you to get a lot more computer work done in lesser time.
If you want to enhance your productivity more, you can invest time in learning keyboard shortcuts that will enable you to work much faster and more quickly compared to using a mouse for navigating through a computer program.
#5. A Left-Handed Mouse Clears Up the Right Side of Your Desk Space
One of the lesser-appreciated benefits of using a left-handed mouse is that it helps clear the right side of your desk. While you may still need your writing accessories on the right side of your table if you are a right-handed individual. However, you can clear up your desk from the mouse and the mouse accessories like a mouse pad.
Many individuals who work on a screen often believe that a mouse pad isn't a workplace essential; however, let's not forget that it enhances the usability of your mouse compared to when using the mouse directly on the surface of the table. So if you intend to clear up the right side of your desk, you should still have a mouse pad that you can place on the left side of your desk to enhance your mouse's functionality.
If you're not sure which mouse pad you should go for, we recommend investing in Mouse Pad MP012/MP014 by Flexispot. It's not really a small mouse pad that can be placed under your mouse, but it's a large pad that can cover your entire desk. The non-slip desk mat attaches to the desk firmly, so regardless of whether you place your mouse on the left or right side of the desk, you can enjoy greater functionality of your workplace essentials.
#6. Using a Left-Handed Mouse Makes You a More Functional Individual
Research suggests that if you are a right-handed individual and practice working on a left-handed mouse for a month, it will help you be a more productive and functional individual. Continuous practice of using a left-handed mouse will make it easier for you to handle trivial computer tasks that take up a lot of time. Moreover, it aids in improving your posture as you don't have to stretch far to reach for the mouse.
Hence, it positively contributes to improving your overall efficiency at work.
Final Thoughts
Using a left-handed mouse can aid in significantly reducing fatigue and muscular strain in your hand and fingers and helps lower the risk of repetitive strain injuries. Moreover, it allows you to be more productive and efficient at work and in life in general.
To learn more about the ergonomic benefits of a left-handed mouse and other ergonomic office supplies or to get an insight into ergonomic office furniture and accessories, visit our website today.
