Lately, I feel like I’m a lot clumsier than usual. Case in point: two nights in a row, I’ve spilled my lemonade — once on the couch, once in the office. Yesterday, I really raised the clumsiness bar by spilling a bowl of handmade glass ornaments and then stepping on them. Really graceful! (Thankfully, only the ornaments were hurt in that little adventure.)
It got me wondering: what causes clumsiness?
To answer that, it doesn’t hurt to look at the opposite side: coordination. Driving this wonderful machine called the body takes motor skills and sensory input (to put it REALLY simply). Your eyes give the lay of the land. Your brain and nerves carry the message. The muscles do the work. We even have a section of the brain devoted to coordination and balance!
Clumsiness happens when one (or more) of the parts of the machine isn’t working in coordination (ha ha) with the others. Maybe your muscles react a split second too late to catch that tipped glass. Maybe your eyes misjudge the distance to a safe place to stand amid the broken glass.
Some very common causes for clumsiness include:
- Poor vision
- Fatigue and stress
- Head injury or stroke
- Arthritis
- Medications
- Alcohol or drug use
- Illness
Much of the time, clumsiness isn’t a sign of a serious problem. But if you’re concerned about your lack of coordination, talk to your doctor. There are cases where an attack of the clumsies can signify something more serious at work. For example, a diabetic with nerve damage or a person suffering a stroke may experience clumsiness! If your clumsiness has you worried, it’s worth the time and effort to check in with your doctor. Even if the doc says nothing’s wrong, at least you’ll get to sleep easier!
One way to reduce clumsiness is work on your balance and hand-eye coordination. There are exercises you can do to improve the way your brain and body communicate — some of them are the same exercises used to help stroke patients recover mobility or help athletes perform better!