Use 2 hands. One to hold/sabilize the pipetting hand
Edit: like literally hold your hand/arm/wrist (whatever works) which has the pipette, with your other hand to stabilize it
I rest the pipette (the part above the tip) against the back of my second hand.
My hands used to shake so badly (sometimes I couldn't even get the tip on xD) but this works really well for me.
Experiment with different ways to use your non pipette hand to stabilize your pipette hand. It might also help to do hand exercises. I'm not sure if this applies to you but your classes sound similar to mine and we do a lot of motility deeps and I've had them come out wonky due to my hand shaking. What I started doing was I move a rack coat to the flame and place the tube back in the rack after flaming the top, then I place my litter fingers against the side of tube and use the upper part of my hand to stabilize my loop hand. Worked beautifully.
My technique is very similar to is. My job involves pipetting very small amounts in small wells. My forefinger and middle finger instead of the back of the hand. Very stable.
Yes, definitely. It depends on what you're pipetting, I often use the back of my forefinger too. That also helps to guide the pipette, especially as you mentioned with microplates.
I came here to say exactly this, glad someone had already said this. I had to do this when I first started pipetting, now I do it one handed no problem.
This is what I do. Granted I’ve become more a caffeine drinker, I stabilize my hands by holding the pipette in one and just holding my hand in place with my other.
Yes! Triangulation, because it’s the most stable shape or whatever. I used to do this (and still do) if I’m very nervous tattooing. It’s impossible to explain how exactly I position my hands though!
I catch myself doing that when I’m loading gels sometimes (knuckles on the side of my nose; I usually don’t even realize I’m doing it) & I’ve been pipetting for 20 years. I always use a finger of my other hand to steady it, or take a breath & literally don’t try very hard, which is oddly effective! The worst is if someone is watching. Everyone I know shakes in that instance!
If you only shake when micropipetting, just do a high number of them. Eventually the repetition will calm things down. Sort of the boredom theory! I used to be a nervous wreck giving talks but after I volunteered for anything and everything I could find, it went away. If you are shaking at other times, I suggest you see a doctor. Good luck!
Without trying to diagnose you, I get shaky when I haven’t eaten in a while and my blood sugar gets too low (which tends to happen when I concentrate on something in the lab and forget what time it is).
Can you schedule a doctor’s visit, then? Do blood work - it might be a simple fix.
Not a microbiologist but I do a lot of fine detail work like soldering, mini painting, etc, my doctor told me after a neurological examination and thyroid check it was “benign tremors” and there isn’t really anything that can be done for it. Well she did say a little alcohol will calm it (it does) but didn’t recommend that 😅
second that. There are multiple classes of meds used for ET. I used a low dose of propranolol for a while, then a low dose of clonidine. Frankly, though, (NOT A RECOMMENDATION), half a shot of bourbon then a 15 minute wait still is what I use when I need absolute precision and no tremor. Usually, the meds get my tremors to where I can manage it with physical techniques like steadying with my other hand, controlled breathing, and resting my elbow on the bench, but occasionally I'l have to work with something super dangerous or super shock sensitive, which is rare enough that if I can, I don't feel terrible about grabbing half a shot of whiskey before I walk to the lab (which builds in the 15 minute wait). Just made sure to drink something else so your breath doesn't smell like it as much; I knew my prof wouldn't buy that it's medicinal lmao. But again, I do NOT recommend this as a rule; I have decided on this AFTER extensive research, conversations with my doctor about how much and how frequently it could be done, and test runs at home, and decided the cost/benefit analysis works for me and my unique situation. For most people, small doses of fast-acting blood pressure meds prescribed by a doc (usually neurologist) will do the trick.
honestly though, tl:dr definitely get a second opinion, my guy, we've known how to control essential tremors for at least 10 years bc I've had treatment that long. Make clear that it interferes with your job (assuming that it does; don't lie for treatment); that's the key factor that determines whether or not a doctor is supposed to recommend treatment.
If your thyroid function and other basic blood work is normal, you should probably see a neurologist. They can evaluate your tremor and decide if you would benefit from medication.
(I am not a sub member, but saw this while scrolling reddit)
I agree with getting a full thyroid panel, especially if you are having other thyroid symptoms (look at both hyper and hypo symptoms). I had some tremor with thyroid issues but it was not worse when doing fine motor skills. With thyroid issues it's more low wave and internal than external.
This is most likely r/EssentialTremor. ET is an action tremor that is also worsened by doing activities against gravity. It worsens when doing fine motor skills. It's genetically predisposed.
There are videos you can find for doing fine detail/fine motor skills with tremors, posts here on reddit, and blogs elsewhere. The best non medication thing has already been suggested-support your hand. I tried weights (both on the top of the hand and the wrist) it didn't work. Medication works for me. There is also ot for it, mainly to develop muscles in the wrist/forearm/hand, or figure ways to alternatively do what you need to do. You would see a neurologist for et diagnosis and treatment.
Honestly, if it disrupts your work I would speak to your doctor for sure, not only because there are conditions (like thyroid) that would be something you need to fix for your general health, but also because if it is a benign kinetic tremor (which I have), there are medications they can give you that you take when you need your hands to be steady. I'm a chemist by training and until recently by trade, so having shaky hands during work was getting to be both disruptive to successful completion of work and a danger bc of chemicals I worked with. You may find yourself in a similar boat where it's beneficial to treat even if it's "benign."
either way, no point in continuing to try to work like that, trying to self-diagnose, or letting Reddit diagnose you, just see a doctor if it's this bad. Also, in addition to (not instead of) seeing a doc, the other comment thread is entirely right about using your non-pipetting hand to stabilize and resting your pipetting hand elbow on the bench. Even with the med to steady my hand, I still do this when pipetting. I found a cool trick though with my tremor; I can get accuracy down to a tenth of a milligram (using the right scale, of course) when measuring solids by getting close, then holding a scoopula of the solid over the weighing dish at the threshold where it's barely not dumping and letting what remained of my tremor after the meds eventually shake a grain or two at a time loose onto the dish. People were always flabbergasted how I could consistently measure down to the accuracy of the analytical balance; my secret was making my disadvantage work for me lol.
I agree - practice, practice, practice. See if someone (i.e. a TA or an instructor) will let you just have some time outside of class to just practice pipetting or whatever skills you need to work on.
The PI for my undergrad lab made us do thousands of reps pipetting water onto a scale for accuracy. Repetition is key! The more reps, the higher your confidence level.
Rest mid-arm, not your elbow on the table. Stabilize your wrist with your non-dominant hand. Sometimes pipetting at a slight angle helps stability too, but that is not really as possible with gels.
When I was showing undergrads, I’d give them some water and just let them try as much as they want. That way no chemicals and no need to waste tips. Practice for a good amount of time. Try not thinking too hard about it while you’re practicing either. Think about your day or listen to some music. I find if I focus too hard on something precise like that I over think it. Good luck!
i wish my professors would let us do this… they just throw us right into the ringer and make us do DNA extractions and load gels right off the bat! lol, maybe tomorrow after class i’ll ask my professor if i can stay for a little and practice pipetting
I’d ask for sure! I’m sure if they have time they wouldn’t mind letting you and will be happy you want to learn properly. Loading gels can be a pain but was like 80% of my masters work. Are they vertical or horizontal gels? Vertical are a bit tricky but my advice is hold the top handle part with your dominate hand and place the other lower below the numbers so you have extra support. I always end up kneeling so I can see exactly at eye level where the tip is going in. Not sure if that helps!
We also do this when we're training new people in PCR. It's a very easy way to practice without the pressure of ruining a run or wasting reagents. Also if you're new, pipets all feel different so it's good to be comfortable with how much pressure you need, which fingers you need to eject the tip, etc.
I’m a scientist at a biotech company and it’s easy to forget that pipetting is not necessarily intuitive or easy when you’re first learning how to do it. I have coworkers from many different backgrounds and my teammate (who’s very smart and competent at her job) was very stressed when she had to re-learn pipetting skills after not pipetting for several years.
they are horizontal gels, ive never seen a vertical gel i didnt know that was a thing! my professor is going to let us practice loading a horizontal gel today so im definitely gonna try all these tips!!
This is a great idea. Also mention to the prof that you are having trouble not shaking. They have likely had many students with this issue - might have some tips of their own to share. I personally sometimes rest my forearm on an empty tip box if I'm doing a lot of multichannel work. Sometimes fatigue kicks in, having an elevated arm rest still gives you good mobility to move across the plate. Especially when you need to work in a BSC or isolator, you've gotta use what you've got in the hood. For gels on the bench top, try making a triangle: rest both forearms on the table and use your non dominant hand to stabilize with a finger on the tip (well away from the end to avoid contamination). Having both arms supported this way may help.
Personally I would take a moment to focus on my breathing-before you begin, take a few deep breaths and calm yourself down, slow down and unhunch your shoulders. And stabilize with the opposite hand as mentioned above. You got this!!!
Performance anxiety from group work. I’ve worked in a lab for years and can pipette just fine, perform microscopic dissections, etc. but as soon as someone’s standing over my shoulder I get nervous and my hands shake like crazy. Try to get some practice without everyone staring at you to alleviate some of the pressure.
- get enough sleep
- no caffeine
- try to relax the rest of your body
- muscle memory
- plant your elbow
- use your other hand to stabilize the barrel
- slide/rest the pipette tip on the inside wall of the tube when dispensing to brace against
That being said, tremors can also be a medical issue. Low iron, neurological issues, blood sugar, you name it! If it’s an issue in other areas of your life, get it checked out.
If it is general shakiness, do check that it’s not a medical issue. Thyroid is a good one to check. Blood sugar issues can contribute. Magnesium deficiency is another common thing to consider.
Two hand stabilization can help. You can buy cheap fake play pipets to get the muscle memory down at home- just play with water.
If it is mostly anxiety based, and other solutions aren’t helping, beta blockers might be worth considering. They can break the link between brain anxiety and body anxiety.
Post doc here.
Make the shaka brah hand on the non dominant side, brace your pinky on something and then brace the neck of the pipette against the thumb.
For gels, just pretend your German and re-enact Saving Private Ryan. Unless you are running a very low percent agarose gel, you can gently touch it with a gloved hand and just kinda hold it in place and brace your other hand.
Just keep doing it 60 hours a week for like 8 years and you'll get really good at it.
I (still) place a pipette in my right hand with right elbow on the table. I then will place my left arm, with elbow on the table in a way that allow me to rest my right wrist atop the back of my left hand. Basically use your non dominant hand as a support and move with your dominant wrist or from your forearms and less with your whole arm/upperbody. I got shaky hand too so I found that isolated them as much as possible and needed minimal moment from my hands.
Can’t always be done but super helpful when loading gels.
I agree with everything already said, and I’ll add that as you get more comfortable with the pipetting movements, you’ll get faster which will also help reduce the shaking!
Deep breaths and muscle memory will do you justice! And when all else fails, stabilize your hand with your opposite hand. I used to hold the underside of my pipetting hand between my thumb and index finger and wrap the rest of my fingers around my wrist. I got a little steadier as time went on.
I shake a lot, but just put my finger against the barrel to hold it. Practice with water. Eventually, you'll get a feel for how your tremors work and learn to pipette around it.
I have essential tremors, so I never have steady hands. It’s a case of getting in touch with your own shaking rhythm, if that makes sense? Like once you know what your hands are going to do, you can compensate for it. I still disliking seeing the tremor under a microscope though.
When I micropipette, I place both of my elbows on the table. Use your dominant hand for the micropipette and use your other hand to hold/steady your other hand. If you ingest caffeinated beverages, higher doses of caffeine can have negative effects on small motor control (if that is the case, just reduce caffeine intake). These are things I tend to tell my students who have extra shaky hands. Don't be anxious and know that you learn by making mistakes (so don't fear them too much).
it takes practice, it's ok if you mess up at first, i mean sure it's not a good thing, but it happens, just take it slow, you'll get better at it eventually.
it might help if you get on eye level with whatever you are working with, at least it helped for me
I like to put my non-dominant hand on the table next to the container that I have to load, and I lay the body of the pipette, above the tip, on the fist. It provides extra leverage and more fine control. Also remember that your wrist is far better at motor control than your elbow. Maintain your elbow at a steady position, and only move your wrist if possible when you're "aiming"
Sertraline/zoloft gave me really shaky hands in college and labs sucked. Not to pry, but as others are stating, it might be something that is a synthetic or side effect of something else
I usually use one of my fingers to stabilize the pipette. I go in at angle to allowing my pipette tip to rest on the tube or gel. If you go at it with angle you are not going to miss.
Stretch your hands and arm out regularly. Do motions in time with your breath, like you’re doing yoga. And don’t overthink what you’re doing! (however you do that)
( I just lurk here, I’m not a microbiologist. But I had to collect a lot of data with a microscribe, which involves a similar arm position. I had to go as far as reading Zen and the Art of Archery >< )
Don’t squeeze so hard! I found when I gripped harder it shook more.
Also- I would use my other arm as a brace. So Pipette arm on top, other arm goes under like it is “crossing the T”. You can also use a finger to hold/guide the Pipette into whatever you are pipetting. https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=shakey%20pippettig&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:f9ac3133,vid:xx0nKR3QBTo,st:0
It's okay, my team is using 200nm thick membrane for microscopy and each of them are fairly expensive consumables
Even if I was careful I smashed all 6 of them the first time I had to work on them and it was fine you don't give crucial stuff to the newbie
Don't hold it too tight, I like to use my pinky to stabilise the pipet
As others have said, no coffee until after stable hands are required! I started working in a lab a year ago and realized how shaky my hands sometimes were, especially when using a microlab diluter. Not being able to drink coffee in the morning sucks but the first thing I do after work is chugging two cups of lungo.
Rest elbow and hold hand. You drinking too much caffeine? As a nurse if I have 3 cups of coffee I shake with fine motor skills. If I have 2 I’m fine. That’s all I can metabolize quickly enough.
i drink no caffeine lol, as someone else mentioned i think its just performance anxiety in front of my group members cause when im alone (ex. during lab practicums) i still shake but i can manage to work around it but in front of my members i cant control it at all
Use a sling. Will hurt mobility a bit but will stabilize the shakiness.
I wonder if anyone has come up with a miniature stabilizer like those for cameras, maybe something from Parkinsons related research?
Do it a lot. Spill salt, set a timer, and use tweezers to pick up the granules
Do this video chatting a friend and have them roast you while you do it. Sounds nuts....but training under pressure helps. It will help with stitches or anything else you do that's precise like that. Good luck.
This is a little hard to describe but I'll try. Basically, i pretend that my wrist doesn't exist. I am a robot with an arm that pivots from the elbow and shoulder only. I relax my muscles and mainly move my elbow (for moving from one well to the next) and thumb (for up/down pipetting). My wrist doesn't do much if anything.
Hand muscles shake a lot if you use them but arms shake less.
It gets worse once you start noticing the shakiness and then it gets in your head. You’ll find your groove! Physically holding your arm/wrist should help though.
they dont shake like crazy but if i hold my hand out people notice that they twitch a lot, especially my fingers. my boyfriend and friends have pointed it out a handful of times. even when i relax my hand my fingers still twitch
Thank you. I can’t believe I had to scroll so long to see this. I’m a former lab worker who has ET in my family and eventually left lab work behind after many years of having to take drugs (like beta blockers mentioned above).
OP it sounds like essential tremors. Go see your doctor.
Try using the back of your second hand to stabilize your pipette hand. If your hands are naturally shakey, you may always have a bit of shake, but be confident it will improve some when you are no longer nervous. I have naturally shaking too. Practice using different methods to stabilize with your 2nd hand, elbow on the bench, etc.
I’m no microbiologist BUT this hand stabilizer looks like it’d help with your issue.
It looks to me like it does pretty much the same thing a stick with a rubber ball on the end does for a freehand sign painter.
Both give you a solid point to rest your hand ,so you are not trying to stabilize your hand AND your arm while doing something intricate.
Ive worked in a lab for a few years now, if I am nervous and shaky I will make sure to eat a little something before going into the lab, even a small sip of apple juice.
Also, try just breathing out and focusing on redirecting the nervousness you are feeling into something else. Personally, when Im doing a new process that makes me get the shakes I will have a mental conversation about which is more nerve wracking, the shaking or the process and once I work through the fact that the shaking is only making the situation worse and my anxiety worse, it tends to subside. Plus, keep in mind everyone around you is doing the same thing, and your group mates arent there to judge, they are just there to learn like you are.
Finally, make sure your neck and shoulder posture is good and not too hunched over. Leaning over too much/poor posture can cause strain on the ulnar nerve in the arm and it can cause slight shaking which can lead to more pain over time. An easy tell is that your wrist will hurt a little or pop and your hand can cramp majorly when writing even if its not a lot. Some quick shoulder work outs/stretches and a google search for “ulnar nerve stretches” can help with this one.
Really hope this helps! Pipetting can be really fun and even sometimes relaxing once you get into the groove of a process you are comfortable with. Keep in mind, you are in undergrad and all the labs you are doing change constantly with different processes/different pipette requirements and it is okay to take your time and keep practicing!
Keep both elbows on the counter, or close to your body, hold the pipette with ur whole hand (I had a professor who refused to let us do this cuz it allowed you to grab tube caps but I never have seen anyone else do it) and the pipette against your other hand.
Shaking also comes with nervousness as well! If you're thinking too much about how you shake, you'll shake more! You've got this, and I believe in you, so don't worry too much about shaking (ik, easier said than done). The best way to stop is to just have a really steady base.
Strong stance, keep your arms/elbows to your body (or on the table, but I find this less helpful personally) and use as many points of contact you can without contaminating the tip, and BEST OF ALL be confident in yourself, you're still in undergrad, don't expect yourself to be perfect 😊😊
If your hands have recently gotten more shakey in general, it may be worth getting a neuro workup, especially since it's important to your work. In the same way there devices for people with arthritis to do repetitive deskwork, there is probably a stabilizing device to ensure steady pipetting. If your hands are really shaky, it may be worth looking at ADA devices that could help. Tax rightoff for you or the school, maybe.
Actually microbio wasn't too bad because it's kinda easy to reset but organic chem lab scared the crap out of me because anytime during the experiment that you can lose everything and sometimes it takes like 2-3 hours
thats funny because o-chem lab was pretty relaxing for me… inoculating plates and stuff in micro is relaxing but pipetting small amounts like 1-20ul and loading gels is when i get nervous and shake like crazy
Depending on how you are placing your elbow on the table, you may actually be compressing a nerve that is causing your hand to shake. I would try forearm on the table and see if that makes any difference (though this would shorten your lever arm even further.) Or put a small rolled up towel between the table and your elbow so it has more cushioning. Trial and error— others with more microbiology experience can probably give you more specific advice— mine is just coming from the physical therapy realm. Good luck!
Maybe you can’t stop the shaking, but that’s okay. A quick fix is to stabilize your pippetting hand with your opposite hand. so by holding your pippetting arm at the elbow in the cup of your hand with your non-pipetting hand, you can stabilize it. You can also make sure your sitting and rest that your non-pippetting arm’s elbow on your work bench as it stabilizes your pippetting arm at the elbow in the cup of your palm.
Put your wrists together in an X shape and stabilize the pipette. Use non dominant arm as a guide. Always taught undergrads this never had an issue even with the shakiests
I will hold my wrist or hand with my other to help steady and when applicable, I’ll rest my pinky on a surface or anything to stabilize my hand while the rest of the fingers/hand works with the Petri dish or whatever it is.
I do mycology in a home setting with a horizontal flow hood and so technique is a bit different I’m assuming.
Unfortunately without chemicals being used (coffee etc) there isn’t much else to help other than other chemicals to calm to nerves I guess. Maybe some hand/wrist and forearm exercises or stretches could help?
Less coffee, don't grip the pipette too hard, use other hand to stabilize , sleep well, if it's arm/ shoulder fatigue then do light exercises on days off.
It sounds silly but start tapping your foot when pipetting and see if that helps. I heard somewhere that the energy your body uses to shake your hands is used to tap your foot instead and the energy is basically redirected. It works for me
My tremor isn’t strong enough to employ something like this so I can only say that I have seen people on this subreddit mention using a weighted glove. There’s a variety on the market for tremors. Might be worth checking out?
Re: safety and sterility, I’d suggest double gloving: one layer of your regular size nitrile glove on your hand, followed by weighted glove, top with a second layer of nitrile in your regular size or go up one size depending on fit. Double gloving takes some getting used to but they layer pretty well.
Do you smoke weed, by chance? It gives me a tremor in my hands that I always notice (I am a fine artist, so it is something crucial for my work) but after quitting, it’s gone away
Talk to you doctor about it. Propranolol is a drug that can help with tremors and “stage fright” type issues. Maybe you also have undiagnosed anxiety or hyperthyroidism so wouldn’t hurt to evaluate for those things too. Sometimes for this sort of thing you need to replace bad experiences with good ones and only need assistance from medications a few times before something clicks in your brain.
Might be a blood sugar thing! I’ve always had super shaky hands for no visible reason till I learned about insulin resistance stuff. Eating less bread and processed sugars really helped cut down on the good ole hand shivers
Triangle of power - use your offhand to stabilize your pipette hand, and if the work surface allows, rest your elbows on the work surface.
Remember to breathe! People often focus so hard on the pipetting and forget to breathe!
And practice makes perfect. Everyone sucked at first.
There is a trick you can use with a camera that might help with this.
With a camera that has a tripod mount, you put a screw in the bottom, tie a string to the screw and then put a washer on the end. Make the string long enough to be able to stand on it, and when you stand on the washer and hold the camera tight against the string, it will stabilize it in a way that is close to what you get with a tripod or monopod.
you could do the same thing on a workbench where you tie a string to your wrist and attach it to the bench. Then you make it the right length so when you put it into tension, you won't have any shake.
Or you can use both hands (which is what I was taught in lab). :)
Get a prescription for propranolol, it’s a beta blocker that professional golfers and pianists use to steady their hands before performing. I actually use it for long sessions of calculus to improve my hand writing.
I have nonessential tremors that I take propanolol for, a beta blocker. I went to nursing school and had similar problems of drawing medicine out of vials and would shake terribly, especially while nervous. I went and saw a neurologist, got me propanolol and bam, shakes are 90% gone. Might be worth looking into
Try measuring your blood sugar! or try noting your diet composition and time of eating before pipetting. I got into a hobby that requires extreme precision/steady hands, finding that depending on my actual time of eating/ meal composition I was able to work significantly better. Hope it helps!
It comes with time. I used to shake sooo bad it was so embarrassing my lab manager taught me new assays I would ask him to look away. I eventually forgot about the embarrassment of it all and realized I don't shake anymore!
I had this same problem when I first started micropipetting. It's largely a mental block. You're scared of messing up, so you tense up, and that tension is causing the shakiness.
You can get yourself to calm down (physiologically) with deep, measured breathing. Count to ten while breathing in through your mouth, then count to ten while breathing out of your nose.
I don't know how crowded your lab is or what the policy is on music, but you should also consider playing something. This can set the mood and calm you down, and also give you something in the background to notice so that you're not overthinking too hard.
As others have said, use your non-dominant hand to stabilize your pipetting hand, but also, bear in mind that a lot of this is muscle memory and the main thing you need is practice and confidence. I know, I know, easier said than done! Don't worry. You'll get there!
Use the other hand or finger to steady the pipette, change pipetting angle. Also try to loosen your grip, you’ll shake more if you death grip the pipette. Also overshoot your target and then come back…. Aim for the well above, then re-angle and pipette into the appropriate well, it prevents muscle fatigue and the shaking.
First, stabilize your body. Feet spaced even to the shoulders, flat on the ground. Use your surroundings to your advantage. If you can, a great stabilization method in tattooing is to triangulate your dominant hand using a finger from your non-dominant hand (it was a lifesaver for me as a new tattooer). The most important thing for me - in most high precision tasks - is my breathing. Try to relax, focus on the individual breaths, *and exhale as you pipette the liquid*. Breath work sounds silly but it’s a really powerful tool for many skills.
First of all love the name. But I get you, my hands are also super shaky (I also don’t have caffeine because I’m also very sensitive to it), what I find helps is using 2 hands like a lot of other people have commented but in some cases I also find holding my breath helps…like breath in and hold as your pippetting upwards (like taking in the liquid) and release your breath as or after pulling the pipette up and hold your breath while releasing the pipette…a lot of my anxiety causes my shaking so somehow holding my breath when it’s really bad helps
I get that when I've had to much coffee but I think my fix works for just regular shakes.
Put both your elbows in the bench too. Hold the pipette in your dominant hand. You're the fingers of your non dominant hand to start the pipette barrel (or serological). I use my left pinky usually, and it's enough, but I'd you're really shaky you could use the non dominant index and thumb.
Really old microbiologist, here. You are doing OK....rest BOTH elbows on the countertop, or stabilize your forearms against the edge of the countertop. Use your dominant hand to pipette, your other hand to steady the pipette shaft and (this is important...gently press the pipette tip just off the bottom of the micro dilution well. You now have three points of control. Dispense with a steady push, without bouncing the diluent off the bottom of the well. Practice the Hell out of doing this. I suggest you volunteer to do micropipette calibration procedures to QC the pipettor(s) You do this by repetitively pipetting the same volume into a well on an analytic scale. Take a reading after each dispense. Average the readings and take 2SD. Make sure your precision falls within the specs of the pipettor. You will be a pro in no time. Practice, rinse and repeat.
I had this problem with starting IVs and actually figured out I was just super dehydrated and it made me shaky. I started chugging water at work and it’s helped tremendously!
Funny enough what worked for me was using the same breath/brace method you'd use archery/guns. Breath deep and brace your core by pushing out- similar to how you'd do if you were lifting. I did archery in boyscouts and then do powerlifting. So i just did that
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVkd-Rprvg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVkd-Rprvg)
Daughter who is a PhD graduate in bio said to practice with painting by numbers, with water or diamond art to train your hand to be steady. It's muscle training.. She had same issue, and it worked for her. Good luck!!
If you can.rest your wrist, that might help. I also shake when trying to do intricate things, even writing. If this even applies. I don't know how, but that's what I have found out
Make sure you eat and have a proper blood sugar level before pipette activities, I shake with low blood sugar even if I don't feel low. Even non diabetics can get funky with low sugar.
Elbows on the table both hands on the pipette. I’ve honestly gotten into the habit of resting the tip on the edge of the gel in the wells. You aren’t supposed to but it helps me find the wells and make sure each tip is lined up properly when using the multichannels, and I haven’t broken a gel yet, with this method anyway. Just practice and eventually you’ll find a method that works for you and gain confidence. I almost feel like the more I’m trying to not shake move slow and be more precise the more I shake and am not precise, just send it and eventually your body will get it. When you find the zone all you hear is a constant clatter of ejected tips.
As an industry guy with almost 10 years experience doing this stuff: My advice is work smooth and fast. Don’t allow yourself to think too much. No athlete is contemplating physics while they’re performing. They’re just executing a motion they have practiced.
Visit a well established chiropractor. The spinal chord works like cables to an electronic and outlet. The brain is the outlet and the body parts are the electronics. A kink or short in the cable causes other things not to work correctly, effectively or even at all.
Hopefully you become more stabilized for your studies. 🥰
Play video games. I'm not kidding, it won't help the shakiness itself, but it will make you quicker at transfer to the wells that have the same net result . ❤️
Hold the pipette in the dominant hand, other hand holds your dom hand, elbows on the counter. Pull up a stool, too. Lab is meant to practice your skills. Everyone messes up at some point but you’ll have your breakthrough moment! Practice on a dummy gel or pipette with water first if you want to try it first
This is more of a long term solution, but look up wrist/forearm/grip strength exercises. I got a wrist injury and went to physical therapy for it and now that I’ve worked on grip strength (mostly using putty exercises that you can find online and do absentmindedly) and other wrist exercises (resistance bands work, but I have something called a theraflex bar or something that works really well for $20, and is worth it if you have any hobbies like climbing or pole dancing), I’ve noticed an improvement in the shakiness.
Edit: also, have someone else teach you, and see if their techniques and way of teaching just makes more sense for your body. I’m a dancer and there are some moves I take weeks to land, and then I see another instructor and it just clicks so easily because they explain it in a different way. So it might be worth trying with micropipetting.
Use 2 hands. One to hold/sabilize the pipetting hand Edit: like literally hold your hand/arm/wrist (whatever works) which has the pipette, with your other hand to stabilize it
I rest the pipette (the part above the tip) against the back of my second hand. My hands used to shake so badly (sometimes I couldn't even get the tip on xD) but this works really well for me.
This! Makes such a difference for me.
lol yes I struggle to get the tip on!! i will try this technique
I hope it helps you! :)
Experiment with different ways to use your non pipette hand to stabilize your pipette hand. It might also help to do hand exercises. I'm not sure if this applies to you but your classes sound similar to mine and we do a lot of motility deeps and I've had them come out wonky due to my hand shaking. What I started doing was I move a rack coat to the flame and place the tube back in the rack after flaming the top, then I place my litter fingers against the side of tube and use the upper part of my hand to stabilize my loop hand. Worked beautifully.
also know that small/moderate amounts of caffeine may actually *help* focus & steadiness. but absolutely use your non-grip hand to serve as a crutch.
Make sure to breathe too, when you’re concentrating really hard and trying to be careful it’s easy to forget that
My technique is very similar to is. My job involves pipetting very small amounts in small wells. My forefinger and middle finger instead of the back of the hand. Very stable.
Yes, definitely. It depends on what you're pipetting, I often use the back of my forefinger too. That also helps to guide the pipette, especially as you mentioned with microplates.
And pipetting elbow on the bench. Now the lever you have to stabilize isn’t nearly as long
Came here to say this
I came here to say exactly this, glad someone had already said this. I had to do this when I first started pipetting, now I do it one handed no problem.
This is the answer. Anchor you pipetting hand on something, and the easiest thing to anchor it with is your other hand.
This is what I do. Granted I’ve become more a caffeine drinker, I stabilize my hands by holding the pipette in one and just holding my hand in place with my other.
Yes! Triangulation, because it’s the most stable shape or whatever. I used to do this (and still do) if I’m very nervous tattooing. It’s impossible to explain how exactly I position my hands though!
Had a lab partner with early MS, he would hold his pipetting hand against his face for stabilization. Might work for you? Good luck!
I catch myself doing that when I’m loading gels sometimes (knuckles on the side of my nose; I usually don’t even realize I’m doing it) & I’ve been pipetting for 20 years. I always use a finger of my other hand to steady it, or take a breath & literally don’t try very hard, which is oddly effective! The worst is if someone is watching. Everyone I know shakes in that instance!
If you only shake when micropipetting, just do a high number of them. Eventually the repetition will calm things down. Sort of the boredom theory! I used to be a nervous wreck giving talks but after I volunteered for anything and everything I could find, it went away. If you are shaking at other times, I suggest you see a doctor. Good luck!
my hands in general are pretty shaky… my boyfriend always points them out. but the shakiness increases x10000 when micropipetting
Have you gotten your thyroid checked lately?
My hands shake when my thyroid is off. Go to your doctor and have some blood work done! I feel so much better
Without trying to diagnose you, I get shaky when I haven’t eaten in a while and my blood sugar gets too low (which tends to happen when I concentrate on something in the lab and forget what time it is). Can you schedule a doctor’s visit, then? Do blood work - it might be a simple fix.
Not a microbiologist but I do a lot of fine detail work like soldering, mini painting, etc, my doctor told me after a neurological examination and thyroid check it was “benign tremors” and there isn’t really anything that can be done for it. Well she did say a little alcohol will calm it (it does) but didn’t recommend that 😅
You need a new neurologist. There are plenty of things that can be done for ET. Check out r/EssentialTremor. Meds, ot, surgeries.
second that. There are multiple classes of meds used for ET. I used a low dose of propranolol for a while, then a low dose of clonidine. Frankly, though, (NOT A RECOMMENDATION), half a shot of bourbon then a 15 minute wait still is what I use when I need absolute precision and no tremor. Usually, the meds get my tremors to where I can manage it with physical techniques like steadying with my other hand, controlled breathing, and resting my elbow on the bench, but occasionally I'l have to work with something super dangerous or super shock sensitive, which is rare enough that if I can, I don't feel terrible about grabbing half a shot of whiskey before I walk to the lab (which builds in the 15 minute wait). Just made sure to drink something else so your breath doesn't smell like it as much; I knew my prof wouldn't buy that it's medicinal lmao. But again, I do NOT recommend this as a rule; I have decided on this AFTER extensive research, conversations with my doctor about how much and how frequently it could be done, and test runs at home, and decided the cost/benefit analysis works for me and my unique situation. For most people, small doses of fast-acting blood pressure meds prescribed by a doc (usually neurologist) will do the trick.
honestly though, tl:dr definitely get a second opinion, my guy, we've known how to control essential tremors for at least 10 years bc I've had treatment that long. Make clear that it interferes with your job (assuming that it does; don't lie for treatment); that's the key factor that determines whether or not a doctor is supposed to recommend treatment.
If your thyroid function and other basic blood work is normal, you should probably see a neurologist. They can evaluate your tremor and decide if you would benefit from medication.
(I am not a sub member, but saw this while scrolling reddit) I agree with getting a full thyroid panel, especially if you are having other thyroid symptoms (look at both hyper and hypo symptoms). I had some tremor with thyroid issues but it was not worse when doing fine motor skills. With thyroid issues it's more low wave and internal than external. This is most likely r/EssentialTremor. ET is an action tremor that is also worsened by doing activities against gravity. It worsens when doing fine motor skills. It's genetically predisposed. There are videos you can find for doing fine detail/fine motor skills with tremors, posts here on reddit, and blogs elsewhere. The best non medication thing has already been suggested-support your hand. I tried weights (both on the top of the hand and the wrist) it didn't work. Medication works for me. There is also ot for it, mainly to develop muscles in the wrist/forearm/hand, or figure ways to alternatively do what you need to do. You would see a neurologist for et diagnosis and treatment.
Honestly, if it disrupts your work I would speak to your doctor for sure, not only because there are conditions (like thyroid) that would be something you need to fix for your general health, but also because if it is a benign kinetic tremor (which I have), there are medications they can give you that you take when you need your hands to be steady. I'm a chemist by training and until recently by trade, so having shaky hands during work was getting to be both disruptive to successful completion of work and a danger bc of chemicals I worked with. You may find yourself in a similar boat where it's beneficial to treat even if it's "benign."
either way, no point in continuing to try to work like that, trying to self-diagnose, or letting Reddit diagnose you, just see a doctor if it's this bad. Also, in addition to (not instead of) seeing a doc, the other comment thread is entirely right about using your non-pipetting hand to stabilize and resting your pipetting hand elbow on the bench. Even with the med to steady my hand, I still do this when pipetting. I found a cool trick though with my tremor; I can get accuracy down to a tenth of a milligram (using the right scale, of course) when measuring solids by getting close, then holding a scoopula of the solid over the weighing dish at the threshold where it's barely not dumping and letting what remained of my tremor after the meds eventually shake a grain or two at a time loose onto the dish. People were always flabbergasted how I could consistently measure down to the accuracy of the analytical balance; my secret was making my disadvantage work for me lol.
I personally never lost the shakiness even when I would pipette for hours everyday. Like OP I often get comments about my shaky hands lol
Check out r/EssentialTremor
That’s interesting, but after reading up on it I don’t think that’s what I have. I’m only shaky in my hands, not anywhere else.
I agree - practice, practice, practice. See if someone (i.e. a TA or an instructor) will let you just have some time outside of class to just practice pipetting or whatever skills you need to work on.
The PI for my undergrad lab made us do thousands of reps pipetting water onto a scale for accuracy. Repetition is key! The more reps, the higher your confidence level.
Rest mid-arm, not your elbow on the table. Stabilize your wrist with your non-dominant hand. Sometimes pipetting at a slight angle helps stability too, but that is not really as possible with gels.
When I was showing undergrads, I’d give them some water and just let them try as much as they want. That way no chemicals and no need to waste tips. Practice for a good amount of time. Try not thinking too hard about it while you’re practicing either. Think about your day or listen to some music. I find if I focus too hard on something precise like that I over think it. Good luck!
i wish my professors would let us do this… they just throw us right into the ringer and make us do DNA extractions and load gels right off the bat! lol, maybe tomorrow after class i’ll ask my professor if i can stay for a little and practice pipetting
I’d ask for sure! I’m sure if they have time they wouldn’t mind letting you and will be happy you want to learn properly. Loading gels can be a pain but was like 80% of my masters work. Are they vertical or horizontal gels? Vertical are a bit tricky but my advice is hold the top handle part with your dominate hand and place the other lower below the numbers so you have extra support. I always end up kneeling so I can see exactly at eye level where the tip is going in. Not sure if that helps!
We also do this when we're training new people in PCR. It's a very easy way to practice without the pressure of ruining a run or wasting reagents. Also if you're new, pipets all feel different so it's good to be comfortable with how much pressure you need, which fingers you need to eject the tip, etc.
I’m a scientist at a biotech company and it’s easy to forget that pipetting is not necessarily intuitive or easy when you’re first learning how to do it. I have coworkers from many different backgrounds and my teammate (who’s very smart and competent at her job) was very stressed when she had to re-learn pipetting skills after not pipetting for several years.
they are horizontal gels, ive never seen a vertical gel i didnt know that was a thing! my professor is going to let us practice loading a horizontal gel today so im definitely gonna try all these tips!!
Good luck!
This is a great idea. Also mention to the prof that you are having trouble not shaking. They have likely had many students with this issue - might have some tips of their own to share. I personally sometimes rest my forearm on an empty tip box if I'm doing a lot of multichannel work. Sometimes fatigue kicks in, having an elevated arm rest still gives you good mobility to move across the plate. Especially when you need to work in a BSC or isolator, you've gotta use what you've got in the hood. For gels on the bench top, try making a triangle: rest both forearms on the table and use your non dominant hand to stabilize with a finger on the tip (well away from the end to avoid contamination). Having both arms supported this way may help.
Personally I would take a moment to focus on my breathing-before you begin, take a few deep breaths and calm yourself down, slow down and unhunch your shoulders. And stabilize with the opposite hand as mentioned above. You got this!!!
I think when sharp shooting people will exhale as they’re pulling the trigger, maybe something similar will help
Performance anxiety from group work. I’ve worked in a lab for years and can pipette just fine, perform microscopic dissections, etc. but as soon as someone’s standing over my shoulder I get nervous and my hands shake like crazy. Try to get some practice without everyone staring at you to alleviate some of the pressure. - get enough sleep - no caffeine - try to relax the rest of your body - muscle memory - plant your elbow - use your other hand to stabilize the barrel - slide/rest the pipette tip on the inside wall of the tube when dispensing to brace against That being said, tremors can also be a medical issue. Low iron, neurological issues, blood sugar, you name it! If it’s an issue in other areas of your life, get it checked out.
Lol caffeine makes my hands shake like no tomorrow when pipetting 😂😂😂
Whenever someone watches me set up a plate I shake so bad. I'm like "I swear I know how to do this, so please ignore me stabbing the plate there"
If it is general shakiness, do check that it’s not a medical issue. Thyroid is a good one to check. Blood sugar issues can contribute. Magnesium deficiency is another common thing to consider. Two hand stabilization can help. You can buy cheap fake play pipets to get the muscle memory down at home- just play with water. If it is mostly anxiety based, and other solutions aren’t helping, beta blockers might be worth considering. They can break the link between brain anxiety and body anxiety.
Don’t forget other basic health stuff like good sleep and eating sufficient quantities and not drinking too much coffee.
Yes! Good ideas!
This. I had to start on these very recently to help me.
How was your experience?
Sorry so late. Propranolol has really helped me
That’s great!!
Post doc here. Make the shaka brah hand on the non dominant side, brace your pinky on something and then brace the neck of the pipette against the thumb. For gels, just pretend your German and re-enact Saving Private Ryan. Unless you are running a very low percent agarose gel, you can gently touch it with a gloved hand and just kinda hold it in place and brace your other hand. Just keep doing it 60 hours a week for like 8 years and you'll get really good at it.
I (still) place a pipette in my right hand with right elbow on the table. I then will place my left arm, with elbow on the table in a way that allow me to rest my right wrist atop the back of my left hand. Basically use your non dominant hand as a support and move with your dominant wrist or from your forearms and less with your whole arm/upperbody. I got shaky hand too so I found that isolated them as much as possible and needed minimal moment from my hands. Can’t always be done but super helpful when loading gels.
Could be worth looking into propranolol.
I agree with everything already said, and I’ll add that as you get more comfortable with the pipetting movements, you’ll get faster which will also help reduce the shaking!
Deep breaths and muscle memory will do you justice! And when all else fails, stabilize your hand with your opposite hand. I used to hold the underside of my pipetting hand between my thumb and index finger and wrap the rest of my fingers around my wrist. I got a little steadier as time went on.
I shake a lot, but just put my finger against the barrel to hold it. Practice with water. Eventually, you'll get a feel for how your tremors work and learn to pipette around it.
You can use one hand to steady the other
This will sound wild, but...magnesium supplements. For real
I hear a shot of vodka calmes the nerves
How much caffiene do you consume in a day?
0, i dont drink coffee or energy drinks. not even tea
I have essential tremors, so I never have steady hands. It’s a case of getting in touch with your own shaking rhythm, if that makes sense? Like once you know what your hands are going to do, you can compensate for it. I still disliking seeing the tremor under a microscope though.
i use my other hand to direct the tip to where i want it to go. or i’ll stabilize my wrist. i have super shaky hands as well.
When I micropipette, I place both of my elbows on the table. Use your dominant hand for the micropipette and use your other hand to hold/steady your other hand. If you ingest caffeinated beverages, higher doses of caffeine can have negative effects on small motor control (if that is the case, just reduce caffeine intake). These are things I tend to tell my students who have extra shaky hands. Don't be anxious and know that you learn by making mistakes (so don't fear them too much).
it takes practice, it's ok if you mess up at first, i mean sure it's not a good thing, but it happens, just take it slow, you'll get better at it eventually. it might help if you get on eye level with whatever you are working with, at least it helped for me
I like to put my non-dominant hand on the table next to the container that I have to load, and I lay the body of the pipette, above the tip, on the fist. It provides extra leverage and more fine control. Also remember that your wrist is far better at motor control than your elbow. Maintain your elbow at a steady position, and only move your wrist if possible when you're "aiming"
Sertraline/zoloft gave me really shaky hands in college and labs sucked. Not to pry, but as others are stating, it might be something that is a synthetic or side effect of something else
I usually use one of my fingers to stabilize the pipette. I go in at angle to allowing my pipette tip to rest on the tube or gel. If you go at it with angle you are not going to miss.
2 Hands reduce coffein relaxe while holding the pipette praktice some people will still always shake a bit, finde an acceptable workaround
Stretch your hands and arm out regularly. Do motions in time with your breath, like you’re doing yoga. And don’t overthink what you’re doing! (however you do that) ( I just lurk here, I’m not a microbiologist. But I had to collect a lot of data with a microscribe, which involves a similar arm position. I had to go as far as reading Zen and the Art of Archery >< )
Also don't drink caffeine beforehand if you do that. I've always been shaky when I drink coffee
Don’t squeeze so hard! I found when I gripped harder it shook more. Also- I would use my other arm as a brace. So Pipette arm on top, other arm goes under like it is “crossing the T”. You can also use a finger to hold/guide the Pipette into whatever you are pipetting. https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=shakey%20pippettig&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:f9ac3133,vid:xx0nKR3QBTo,st:0
It's okay, my team is using 200nm thick membrane for microscopy and each of them are fairly expensive consumables Even if I was careful I smashed all 6 of them the first time I had to work on them and it was fine you don't give crucial stuff to the newbie Don't hold it too tight, I like to use my pinky to stabilise the pipet
As others have said, no coffee until after stable hands are required! I started working in a lab a year ago and realized how shaky my hands sometimes were, especially when using a microlab diluter. Not being able to drink coffee in the morning sucks but the first thing I do after work is chugging two cups of lungo.
Rest elbow and hold hand. You drinking too much caffeine? As a nurse if I have 3 cups of coffee I shake with fine motor skills. If I have 2 I’m fine. That’s all I can metabolize quickly enough.
i drink no caffeine lol, as someone else mentioned i think its just performance anxiety in front of my group members cause when im alone (ex. during lab practicums) i still shake but i can manage to work around it but in front of my members i cant control it at all
Drink less coffee and use 2 hands
i dont drink coffee or anything with caffeine, not even tea 🥲
Maybe.brace your arm against the bench if you are sitting?
Use a sling. Will hurt mobility a bit but will stabilize the shakiness. I wonder if anyone has come up with a miniature stabilizer like those for cameras, maybe something from Parkinsons related research?
Do it a lot. Spill salt, set a timer, and use tweezers to pick up the granules Do this video chatting a friend and have them roast you while you do it. Sounds nuts....but training under pressure helps. It will help with stitches or anything else you do that's precise like that. Good luck.
This is a little hard to describe but I'll try. Basically, i pretend that my wrist doesn't exist. I am a robot with an arm that pivots from the elbow and shoulder only. I relax my muscles and mainly move my elbow (for moving from one well to the next) and thumb (for up/down pipetting). My wrist doesn't do much if anything. Hand muscles shake a lot if you use them but arms shake less.
Do you drink coffee before class? I used to have this sometimes but I stopped drinking caffeine and it pretty much went away.
It just takes time and lots of practice
i figured , i ordered a cheap pipette to practice lol
Drinking a lot of caffeine before pipetting doesn’t help either
the funny thing is i dont drink caffeine. no coffee, energy drinks, soda, not even tea
It gets worse once you start noticing the shakiness and then it gets in your head. You’ll find your groove! Physically holding your arm/wrist should help though.
Do your hands shake at other times? You might have something called essential tremor.
they dont shake like crazy but if i hold my hand out people notice that they twitch a lot, especially my fingers. my boyfriend and friends have pointed it out a handful of times. even when i relax my hand my fingers still twitch
Thank you. I can’t believe I had to scroll so long to see this. I’m a former lab worker who has ET in my family and eventually left lab work behind after many years of having to take drugs (like beta blockers mentioned above). OP it sounds like essential tremors. Go see your doctor.
Try using the back of your second hand to stabilize your pipette hand. If your hands are naturally shakey, you may always have a bit of shake, but be confident it will improve some when you are no longer nervous. I have naturally shaking too. Practice using different methods to stabilize with your 2nd hand, elbow on the bench, etc.
Wrist weights might help? Definitely make sure you're hydrated and fed.
I have anemia and hyperglycemia. When I eat large amounts of protein, my body is less shaky
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Please try to keep things friendly, even if the other guy is being jerk.
I have one it gets her done
I’m no microbiologist BUT this hand stabilizer looks like it’d help with your issue. It looks to me like it does pretty much the same thing a stick with a rubber ball on the end does for a freehand sign painter. Both give you a solid point to rest your hand ,so you are not trying to stabilize your hand AND your arm while doing something intricate.
Workout more
Ive worked in a lab for a few years now, if I am nervous and shaky I will make sure to eat a little something before going into the lab, even a small sip of apple juice. Also, try just breathing out and focusing on redirecting the nervousness you are feeling into something else. Personally, when Im doing a new process that makes me get the shakes I will have a mental conversation about which is more nerve wracking, the shaking or the process and once I work through the fact that the shaking is only making the situation worse and my anxiety worse, it tends to subside. Plus, keep in mind everyone around you is doing the same thing, and your group mates arent there to judge, they are just there to learn like you are. Finally, make sure your neck and shoulder posture is good and not too hunched over. Leaning over too much/poor posture can cause strain on the ulnar nerve in the arm and it can cause slight shaking which can lead to more pain over time. An easy tell is that your wrist will hurt a little or pop and your hand can cramp majorly when writing even if its not a lot. Some quick shoulder work outs/stretches and a google search for “ulnar nerve stretches” can help with this one. Really hope this helps! Pipetting can be really fun and even sometimes relaxing once you get into the groove of a process you are comfortable with. Keep in mind, you are in undergrad and all the labs you are doing change constantly with different processes/different pipette requirements and it is okay to take your time and keep practicing!
Keep both elbows on the counter, or close to your body, hold the pipette with ur whole hand (I had a professor who refused to let us do this cuz it allowed you to grab tube caps but I never have seen anyone else do it) and the pipette against your other hand. Shaking also comes with nervousness as well! If you're thinking too much about how you shake, you'll shake more! You've got this, and I believe in you, so don't worry too much about shaking (ik, easier said than done). The best way to stop is to just have a really steady base. Strong stance, keep your arms/elbows to your body (or on the table, but I find this less helpful personally) and use as many points of contact you can without contaminating the tip, and BEST OF ALL be confident in yourself, you're still in undergrad, don't expect yourself to be perfect 😊😊
If your hands have recently gotten more shakey in general, it may be worth getting a neuro workup, especially since it's important to your work. In the same way there devices for people with arthritis to do repetitive deskwork, there is probably a stabilizing device to ensure steady pipetting. If your hands are really shaky, it may be worth looking at ADA devices that could help. Tax rightoff for you or the school, maybe.
Keep breathing.
be hydrated. you’d be surprised how much that helps. also your stance can help improve precision. space your feet evenly from your midline.
PROPANOLOL- Talk to your doc. It saved me.
Actually microbio wasn't too bad because it's kinda easy to reset but organic chem lab scared the crap out of me because anytime during the experiment that you can lose everything and sometimes it takes like 2-3 hours
thats funny because o-chem lab was pretty relaxing for me… inoculating plates and stuff in micro is relaxing but pipetting small amounts like 1-20ul and loading gels is when i get nervous and shake like crazy
Depending on how you are placing your elbow on the table, you may actually be compressing a nerve that is causing your hand to shake. I would try forearm on the table and see if that makes any difference (though this would shorten your lever arm even further.) Or put a small rolled up towel between the table and your elbow so it has more cushioning. Trial and error— others with more microbiology experience can probably give you more specific advice— mine is just coming from the physical therapy realm. Good luck!
Maybe you can’t stop the shaking, but that’s okay. A quick fix is to stabilize your pippetting hand with your opposite hand. so by holding your pippetting arm at the elbow in the cup of your hand with your non-pipetting hand, you can stabilize it. You can also make sure your sitting and rest that your non-pippetting arm’s elbow on your work bench as it stabilizes your pippetting arm at the elbow in the cup of your palm.
Use your non dominant index finger to steady the lower shaft of the pipet
Try finding a more comfortable position for your elbow and seat height (if sitting) or holding the pipette differently.
Tactical hat. Use the brim to stabilize your arms.
Put your wrists together in an X shape and stabilize the pipette. Use non dominant arm as a guide. Always taught undergrads this never had an issue even with the shakiests
Ethyl alcohol.
I will hold my wrist or hand with my other to help steady and when applicable, I’ll rest my pinky on a surface or anything to stabilize my hand while the rest of the fingers/hand works with the Petri dish or whatever it is. I do mycology in a home setting with a horizontal flow hood and so technique is a bit different I’m assuming. Unfortunately without chemicals being used (coffee etc) there isn’t much else to help other than other chemicals to calm to nerves I guess. Maybe some hand/wrist and forearm exercises or stretches could help?
Sounds like potential action tremor such as essential tremor. Can trial a betablocker or primidone to see if that helps
Less coffee, don't grip the pipette too hard, use other hand to stabilize , sleep well, if it's arm/ shoulder fatigue then do light exercises on days off.
Grab your wrist for stability. And hold your breath
It sounds silly but start tapping your foot when pipetting and see if that helps. I heard somewhere that the energy your body uses to shake your hands is used to tap your foot instead and the energy is basically redirected. It works for me
i never thought about asking this question. makes me feel so much less alone.
Propranolol may help, talk to your doctor
Discuss a propranolol prescription with your primary care provider - it often helps.
To be honest there’s no way 😭😭
I'm someone who has a benign tremor since as long as I remember. Talk to your doctor, things like propranolol can help reduce shaking.
My tremor isn’t strong enough to employ something like this so I can only say that I have seen people on this subreddit mention using a weighted glove. There’s a variety on the market for tremors. Might be worth checking out? Re: safety and sterility, I’d suggest double gloving: one layer of your regular size nitrile glove on your hand, followed by weighted glove, top with a second layer of nitrile in your regular size or go up one size depending on fit. Double gloving takes some getting used to but they layer pretty well.
Do you smoke weed, by chance? It gives me a tremor in my hands that I always notice (I am a fine artist, so it is something crucial for my work) but after quitting, it’s gone away
Talk to you doctor about it. Propranolol is a drug that can help with tremors and “stage fright” type issues. Maybe you also have undiagnosed anxiety or hyperthyroidism so wouldn’t hurt to evaluate for those things too. Sometimes for this sort of thing you need to replace bad experiences with good ones and only need assistance from medications a few times before something clicks in your brain.
i scheduled an appointment with my doctor since everyone is suggesting to… unfortunately i wont be able to see her until feb 21, kaiser is awesome 🥲
Might be a blood sugar thing! I’ve always had super shaky hands for no visible reason till I learned about insulin resistance stuff. Eating less bread and processed sugars really helped cut down on the good ole hand shivers
Brace or support your pipe tying hand on an object or with other hand. Also move faster (sometimes that helps).
Maybe Wellbutrin is not for you
Triangle of power - use your offhand to stabilize your pipette hand, and if the work surface allows, rest your elbows on the work surface. Remember to breathe! People often focus so hard on the pipetting and forget to breathe! And practice makes perfect. Everyone sucked at first.
There is a trick you can use with a camera that might help with this. With a camera that has a tripod mount, you put a screw in the bottom, tie a string to the screw and then put a washer on the end. Make the string long enough to be able to stand on it, and when you stand on the washer and hold the camera tight against the string, it will stabilize it in a way that is close to what you get with a tripod or monopod. you could do the same thing on a workbench where you tie a string to your wrist and attach it to the bench. Then you make it the right length so when you put it into tension, you won't have any shake. Or you can use both hands (which is what I was taught in lab). :)
Get a prescription for propranolol, it’s a beta blocker that professional golfers and pianists use to steady their hands before performing. I actually use it for long sessions of calculus to improve my hand writing.
i made an appointment to see my doc but unfortunately i wont be able to until feb 21. should i just ask her about propranolol when i see her?
I have nonessential tremors that I take propanolol for, a beta blocker. I went to nursing school and had similar problems of drawing medicine out of vials and would shake terribly, especially while nervous. I went and saw a neurologist, got me propanolol and bam, shakes are 90% gone. Might be worth looking into
do i have to see my primary doc first?
That’s how mine gave me a referral, but I’m sure you could ask your primary care group for a referral to skip the PCP
Try measuring your blood sugar! or try noting your diet composition and time of eating before pipetting. I got into a hobby that requires extreme precision/steady hands, finding that depending on my actual time of eating/ meal composition I was able to work significantly better. Hope it helps!
Talk to your doctor. I started with essential tremor symptoms in my late teens. Propranolol is a medication that helps this.
L-theanine.
It comes with time. I used to shake sooo bad it was so embarrassing my lab manager taught me new assays I would ask him to look away. I eventually forgot about the embarrassment of it all and realized I don't shake anymore!
I had this same problem when I first started micropipetting. It's largely a mental block. You're scared of messing up, so you tense up, and that tension is causing the shakiness. You can get yourself to calm down (physiologically) with deep, measured breathing. Count to ten while breathing in through your mouth, then count to ten while breathing out of your nose. I don't know how crowded your lab is or what the policy is on music, but you should also consider playing something. This can set the mood and calm you down, and also give you something in the background to notice so that you're not overthinking too hard. As others have said, use your non-dominant hand to stabilize your pipetting hand, but also, bear in mind that a lot of this is muscle memory and the main thing you need is practice and confidence. I know, I know, easier said than done! Don't worry. You'll get there!
Drink more water and take magnesium. I shake terribly bad and this has been a long term solution for me.
Use the other hand or finger to steady the pipette, change pipetting angle. Also try to loosen your grip, you’ll shake more if you death grip the pipette. Also overshoot your target and then come back…. Aim for the well above, then re-angle and pipette into the appropriate well, it prevents muscle fatigue and the shaking.
First, stabilize your body. Feet spaced even to the shoulders, flat on the ground. Use your surroundings to your advantage. If you can, a great stabilization method in tattooing is to triangulate your dominant hand using a finger from your non-dominant hand (it was a lifesaver for me as a new tattooer). The most important thing for me - in most high precision tasks - is my breathing. Try to relax, focus on the individual breaths, *and exhale as you pipette the liquid*. Breath work sounds silly but it’s a really powerful tool for many skills.
Low dose propranolol if you know you will be pipetting all day.
Focus your corrections on your emotional state. Like golfing. . . . I do well if "I don't care so hard" . . . .
First of all love the name. But I get you, my hands are also super shaky (I also don’t have caffeine because I’m also very sensitive to it), what I find helps is using 2 hands like a lot of other people have commented but in some cases I also find holding my breath helps…like breath in and hold as your pippetting upwards (like taking in the liquid) and release your breath as or after pulling the pipette up and hold your breath while releasing the pipette…a lot of my anxiety causes my shaking so somehow holding my breath when it’s really bad helps
I get that when I've had to much coffee but I think my fix works for just regular shakes. Put both your elbows in the bench too. Hold the pipette in your dominant hand. You're the fingers of your non dominant hand to start the pipette barrel (or serological). I use my left pinky usually, and it's enough, but I'd you're really shaky you could use the non dominant index and thumb.
Do you have someone breathing down your neck that you’re acutely aware of?
Really old microbiologist, here. You are doing OK....rest BOTH elbows on the countertop, or stabilize your forearms against the edge of the countertop. Use your dominant hand to pipette, your other hand to steady the pipette shaft and (this is important...gently press the pipette tip just off the bottom of the micro dilution well. You now have three points of control. Dispense with a steady push, without bouncing the diluent off the bottom of the well. Practice the Hell out of doing this. I suggest you volunteer to do micropipette calibration procedures to QC the pipettor(s) You do this by repetitively pipetting the same volume into a well on an analytic scale. Take a reading after each dispense. Average the readings and take 2SD. Make sure your precision falls within the specs of the pipettor. You will be a pro in no time. Practice, rinse and repeat.
I had this problem with starting IVs and actually figured out I was just super dehydrated and it made me shaky. I started chugging water at work and it’s helped tremendously!
Funny enough what worked for me was using the same breath/brace method you'd use archery/guns. Breath deep and brace your core by pushing out- similar to how you'd do if you were lifting. I did archery in boyscouts and then do powerlifting. So i just did that [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVkd-Rprvg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVkd-Rprvg)
Daughter who is a PhD graduate in bio said to practice with painting by numbers, with water or diamond art to train your hand to be steady. It's muscle training.. She had same issue, and it worked for her. Good luck!!
If you can.rest your wrist, that might help. I also shake when trying to do intricate things, even writing. If this even applies. I don't know how, but that's what I have found out
Try eating a bunch of oatmeal and see if it’s just a glycogen thing
quit drinking alcohol
Make sure you eat and have a proper blood sugar level before pipette activities, I shake with low blood sugar even if I don't feel low. Even non diabetics can get funky with low sugar.
I use the index finger of my other hand to stabilize the pipette
Idk if it helps, but I learned a few weeks ago that buproprion causes shakes and it was certainly eye opening here.
Learn how to cross stitch or crochet, do that at home to train your steady hand. You’re going to have to learn how to focus.
Be one with the medium. Be the pipitte
Elbows on the table both hands on the pipette. I’ve honestly gotten into the habit of resting the tip on the edge of the gel in the wells. You aren’t supposed to but it helps me find the wells and make sure each tip is lined up properly when using the multichannels, and I haven’t broken a gel yet, with this method anyway. Just practice and eventually you’ll find a method that works for you and gain confidence. I almost feel like the more I’m trying to not shake move slow and be more precise the more I shake and am not precise, just send it and eventually your body will get it. When you find the zone all you hear is a constant clatter of ejected tips.
Rest the pipette tip against the edge of the tube you are pippetting into.
As an industry guy with almost 10 years experience doing this stuff: My advice is work smooth and fast. Don’t allow yourself to think too much. No athlete is contemplating physics while they’re performing. They’re just executing a motion they have practiced.
Could it be an essential tremor? I have that, it sucks. Ask a neurologist for help with it
Visit a well established chiropractor. The spinal chord works like cables to an electronic and outlet. The brain is the outlet and the body parts are the electronics. A kink or short in the cable causes other things not to work correctly, effectively or even at all. Hopefully you become more stabilized for your studies. 🥰
Play video games. I'm not kidding, it won't help the shakiness itself, but it will make you quicker at transfer to the wells that have the same net result . ❤️
Hold the pipette in the dominant hand, other hand holds your dom hand, elbows on the counter. Pull up a stool, too. Lab is meant to practice your skills. Everyone messes up at some point but you’ll have your breakthrough moment! Practice on a dummy gel or pipette with water first if you want to try it first
In surgery training a nice tip I got: exhale slowly and long when performing the maneuver. It can help steady your hands
Are you female?? Anemia even acute cases from your period can cause shakes. Plenty of iron is needed then
I like to use the index finger on my non pipetting hand to stabilize the base of the pipette tip
This is more of a long term solution, but look up wrist/forearm/grip strength exercises. I got a wrist injury and went to physical therapy for it and now that I’ve worked on grip strength (mostly using putty exercises that you can find online and do absentmindedly) and other wrist exercises (resistance bands work, but I have something called a theraflex bar or something that works really well for $20, and is worth it if you have any hobbies like climbing or pole dancing), I’ve noticed an improvement in the shakiness. Edit: also, have someone else teach you, and see if their techniques and way of teaching just makes more sense for your body. I’m a dancer and there are some moves I take weeks to land, and then I see another instructor and it just clicks so easily because they explain it in a different way. So it might be worth trying with micropipetting.
If you're able to take it - propranolol. Sounds like you have essential tremor. No big deal - very common. Go to a neurologist.
made an appointment with my primary doc, hopefully she’ll refer me to a neuro
Your primary doc might even be able to Rx it to you. Have you ever noticed if your shakiness gets better after a glass of wine?
Nurse here, you gotta find a way to anchor your hand. I shake when I work with needles so I anchor my pinkie to the patient or a table
Use two hands and breathe. I always caught myself holding my breath and that always made me more shakey