Dealing with shaky hands

[Chuasam]

Lately I've found my handwriting to get worse and worse.
How do you all deal with aging and increasingly shaky hands.
I love my fountain pens but my writing is just horrid.

[FredRydr]

Collect typewriters, instead?

I find that my cursive italic broad stubs disguise poor handwriting better than round tips, but more than anything, patience and concentration is required to make up for deteriorating writing. There's no easy answer to this.

Fred

[Paddler]

I have a friend who is getting shaky hands - possibly early Parkinson's. He says that shadow boxing helps him a lot. He does jabs and uppercuts and that kind of thing, but also wide and wild haymakers are good too. Sometimes he puts on boxing gloves and his son puts on padded target gloves for him to hit. Says he doesn't know why, but it works. His hands steady down after a bout.

[Jon Szanto]

I'm also sensitive to this, and it is affected me in ways in my profession (musician). I agree that a larger nib, and often some form of stub/italic, masks a bit of this (still a tricky solution, being left-handed, too!). Honestly, though, the best thing for me is to concentrate on relaxing and slooooooooow down the speed of my writing. Start at the biggest movements (arm) and keep slowing everything down until you are at finger movements. In time, it seems to help - at least for me.

On the other hand, there are underlying medical issues, and I would consult not only with your primary care physician, but see if you can't get some consultation with a neurologist or two, because these are all symptoms of issues with the nervous system. Many, many kinds of tremors, reasons for them springing to being, and methods of treatment.

For starters, though... relax. Try to do hand writing only when you have the time and can be patient and gentle with yourself.

[VertOlive]

Agreed on the use of broader nibs. When I write with a fine nib, it looks dangerously psychotic.

[Scooby921]

My hands get a bit shaky when trying to concentrate too hard. My right hand (writing hand) seems to be OK while writing, but I have trouble eating soup as my hand starts to shake when paying attention and actively trying NOT to spill soup off the spoon. Likewise I suck at photography because my left hand shakes worse while concentrating and trying not to shake the camera. The longer I'm stationary and trying to frame a shot the more likely it'll be a blurry mess, even with compensated lenses. I do best when I don't think about and don't notice that my hand might be shaking.

[Chuasam]

My hands get a bit shaky when trying to concentrate too hard. My right hand (writing hand) seems to be OK while writing, but I have trouble eating soup as my hand starts to shake when paying attention and actively trying NOT to spill soup off the spoon. Likewise I suck at photography because my left hand shakes worse while concentrating and trying not to shake the camera. The longer I'm stationary and trying to frame a shot the more likely it'll be a blurry mess, even with compensated lenses. I do best when I don't think about and don't notice that my hand might be shaking.

Rest the palm of your left hand on your right shoulder, use your forearm as the support for your camera. Either that or rest the lens in the crook of your arm.
Frame the shot, relax, breathe, take the shot at the moment of maximum exhale when your lungs are empty.
I'm a professional photographer.

[Jon Szanto]

Rest the palm of your left hand on your right shoulder, use your forearm as the support for your camera. Either that or rest the lens in the crook of your arm.
Frame the shot, relax, breathe, take the shot at the moment of maximum exhale when your lungs are empty.
I'm a professional photographer.

Thank you!! My tremors are mostly in my left hand, so I, too, have issues holding the camera steady. This is a fabulous bit of info.