These are my tips for temporarily (or permanently) living with just one hand. A few weeks ago I broke my wrist (or, rather, had it broken for me). This has meant that I have had a crash course in how to live and get along with the use of only one arm, and just one hand. In addition to my wrist being broken, I had to have surgery on it, and a metal plate put in it, which means that I will not be able to use my left arm at all for at least a total of two months.
At least I have a good story, as when people ask me how I broke my wrist I am able to truthfully answer “dancing!”
In the few short weeks since that fateful night, I have learned a number of tips and tricks (or “hacks”, in Internet parlance) that have made it much, MUCH easier for me to adapt to only being able to use one hand. So I figured I would share them in case others find themselves in the same situation. In fact, I have been sharing some of them on Facebook and people seem to find them useful, or at least interesting.
I will be adding to this regularly, starting with a few tips and then adding others (because hey, doing this one-handed!)
Where applicable I am including links to items, and pictures if useful.
Please feel free to add you own one hand tips in a comment!
Good luck with your one-handed journey, whether temporary or permanent!
Anne’s Tips for Temporarily Living with Just One Hand
Anne’s Tip for Living with Just One Hand #1:
Get this ingenious one-handed jar opener!
This brilliant device is called the Belliclamp Jar & Bottle Opener (Get it? Belly clamp). This is because it is essentially a vise for jars and bottles, and you hold the bottle or jar in place with your belly or hip, freeing up your good hand to twist the top off.
You can get the Belliclamp One-handed Jar & Bottle Opener here on Amazon.
Don’t let the anticipated shipping time on the Amazon site scare you, I got mine within a week of ordering it.
Anne’s Tip for Living with Just One Hand #2:
Have your hair washed and braided at the hairdresser
Unless your hair is very short, go to the hairdresser and have them wash your hair for you and then put it in a couple of French braids. You would be amazed at how long your hair will last in this way (I only need to do it about once a week) and your hair will look much nicer, not to mention it being less of a hassle! As a side benefit, it will be much more comfortable sleeping with a braid on either side of your head!
Anne’s Tip for Living with Just One Hand #3:
Modify a big hoodie!
Buy a really big hoodie with a zipper down the front. Cut the cuff off the arm on the side where your cast or splint or a brace or bandage is. The arm of the hoodie, without the cuff, will slide easily over your injured arm, and you can roll the end of the sleeve up a little bit, and roll the cuff on the other sleeve up, and it will be barely noticeable that the two sleeves are different.
And, as an added benefit, pockets!
Anne’s Tip for Living with Just One Hand #4:
Put your food in big Pyrex measuring cups!
Use big Pyrex measuring cups for your food instead of regular bowls and plates, they come with handles!
In the picture below, I have salad in the 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup, and hummus and crackers in the 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup. (Hint: a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup perfectly holds a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, container and all! ;-))
You can order a set of 4-cup and 8-cup Pyrex measuring cups together here on Amazon.
Upcoming tips: [Update on 3/10/22: I just realized that I never did the rest of the tips, owing to the fact that shortly after my wrist surgery I found myself having a hip replacement, and then I was caught up in that. But I will try to still get to these tips now that I’ve been reminded – I’m sorry about that!]
Tall deodorant
Simply home trashcan
Light dimmer
Rubber discs
Proxy brushes
Front close bra
Cast cover for shower
Have chef cut up food
Lever door knobs
Dictation software
Pyrex measuring cups with handles
Air fryer
Macros
Instacart
Letter opener
Scissors everywhere
Long handled screwdriver
Weighted tape dispenser
