Exercises for better coordination/dexterity in lab?

[Rowan]

I just got my first job as a laboratory technician, and I'm having problems. I am an unmitigated disaster of clumsy fingers and poor body awareness. This was ok in undergrad lab classes because professors were just glad to have someone in the class who actually showed interest, but now that I'm in a fancy lab (and this lab is pretty fancy) that is not going to fly. I'm not breaking or spilling things, but I can't accurately aim 1 microlitre of solution onto a sensor, I can't set up a agarose filtration column before the agarose has settled because I fumble with taking the cap off and on, and let's not talk about how often I bump the container wall when I pipette. This is in addition to my harmless but embarrassing problems with body awareness where I do things like catch the door frame with my shoulder as I walk through. The lab people have been great and understanding, and I love the work and am great on the concepts and maths, but I'm about ready to get a cyborg body or something.

So the question is: what can I do at home to get better body awareness, coordination, and manual dexterity in the lab?

[JorgeLobo]

Relax

[PsycoCarrot]

I face the same problems at my workplace. Especially the pipette-tip-glassware-wall problem.

It's one of those things that comes with practice and muscle memory, I think. I've become a lot more proficient now that I'm doing it hours a day, every day.

If I were to recommend something off of the top of my head, practice fine-motor tasks. Try writing in cursive for a week straight or something, or balancing something on your palm for a few minutes per day to steady your hand.