Last week I had a lovely holiday in Tuscany.  We hired a car and drove around some of the places you can only reach by car – and often the final stage is only on foot.

This photo was taken in San Gimignano, famous for it’s medieval ‘sky-scrapers’.  They’re hard to photograph on a phone. which is why I’m sharing this picture instead.

One of the interesting challenges of the week was driving a left-hand drive car on the opposite side of the road from the one we drive on in the UK.  I have done it before but it’s something that needs a greater level of concentration and mental energy.

I also know that the greatest risk often comes at the point of starting to feel comfortable and confident.  This is when the ‘autopilot’ can take over and there’s a danger of driving on the wrong side of the road without realising it.

A long time ago, someone gave me a great piece of advice:  as driver, you’re in the middle of the road not the edge.

When negotiating a junction, it’s a really useful check point.  Am I in the centre of the road?

What also helped enormously was the ‘co-pilot’ dialogue my friend and I developed.  Having another pair of eyes on the sat-nav and the road really helped me.

We know that doing an unfamiliar task or doing a familiar task in a new way engages the brain in a totally different way.  It puts us in a learning frame of mind as opposed to the ‘autopilot’ mode and it opens up the opportunity to make new mental connections.

At times, I felt as though my brain was fizzing!

Having said that, I found the whole experience quite stimulating and enjoyable.  I’ve come back home thinking that it’s something we could build into life quite easily…

For example, try brushing your teeth with the opposite hand.  Have a go at using your non-preferred hand for household tasks like washing up, dusting or vacuuming.

Put your phone in the opposite hand…

There are lots of possibilities.  I’d love to hear your ideas and experiences.