What are the right brain characteristics?
Want to know whether you’re right or left-brained? Look no further.
The right brain and left brain are often referred to as "dominant" and "submissive." This is an oversimplification, but it's a useful one. Right brain characteristics tend to skew more emotional than the left, and right-brained people digest information in a more holistic way—that's why it's often called the "creative" side. But there’s more right brain characteristics than you think.
What's the difference between right and left-brained?
The most common right brain characteristics are creativity, intuition, and holistic thinking—they're the ones who can look at a problem from 20 different angles and come up with multiple solutions, all before you've had time to finish reading this sentence.
Left-brained people tend to be more logical in their thinking, detail-oriented, and rational in nature. If right-brainers see the big picture first, then left-brainers like to get into specifics and breaking things down into manageable chunks of information before they can move forward.
The important things to note is that both sides work together—they just function differently depending on what's needed in any given situation. That's why we need both hemispheres working together if we want to be our best selves.
What are 10 characteristics of the right brain?
The most common right brain characteristics are creativity, inspiration and imagination. It's where we find our sense of wonder at the world around us, and it's what allows us to dream up new ideas and exciting projects.
The right brain helps us make connections between seemingly unrelated pieces of information, and see the big picture, rather than focusing on small details. You could describe the right brain as:
Creative
Spontaneous
Free-thinking
Intuitive
Emotional
Holistic
Musical
Visual
Holistic
Abstract
What are the strengths of a right-brained person?
Right-brained people are creative and original, with a strong sense of curiosity and an ability to see the big picture. They're good at solving problems in innovative ways, as they tend to look beyond what's in front of them. They're also more open-minded than left-brained people, and less concerned about their self-image or how others perceive them.
Right-brained people are also more likely to be empathetic and sensitive. They might seem dreamy or absent-minded at times, but this isn't because they're not paying attention—it's because they're naturally less concerned with details.
Strengths associated with right brain characteristics are:
Seeing the big picture
Creative problem-solving
Analysing things from multiple perspectives
Being open-minded and non-judgemental
Seeing the funny side of things
What are the weaknesses of a right-brained person?
Right-brained characteristics tend to me less detail-oriented than left-brained characteristics. They may not be as organised, and they can't always focus on one task at a time. They tend to procrastinate more, and they're easily distracted by new ideas or projects. They can also struggle with:
Having a good sense of direction
Being organised and practical
Formulating plans and sticking to them
Being able to focus on one thing at a time
Having an eye for detail
How to nourish your right brain
Focus on the present
Try to keep your mind from wandering into either the past or the future. Instead, try to focus on what you are doing right now.
Practice mindfulness
By taking time out of each day to sit quietly, clear your mind, and be mindful, you can help feeling more calm. If you don't have much experience with meditation, there are plenty of apps that can help teach you how it works and get started right away.
Enjoy the arts
Whether it's painting or photography, dancing or singing - whatever floats your boat - getting involved in any sort of artistic activity will allow you to tap into that creative side of your brain which could be lacking due to lots of left-brained thinking (like math homework).
If you want to tap into your right brain, remember that the best way to do so is by nourishing it through activities such as meditation, journaling, drawing or painting—and allowing yourself time each day for leisure and play. This will help you stay balanced and well-rounded, both physically and mentally.