Increasing productivity is a major focus for today’s workforce. Everyone is trying to squeeze as much work as possible in the course of a work day. When a deadline is fast approaching, sometimes saving a few seconds here and there can make all the difference. We all seek ways to save time – why else would it be so important that our devices be so responsive and in-sync with one another? When you’re at your computer all day, you’ll undoubtedly benefit from some familiarity with its various functions and capabilities. Knowing some simple keyboard shortcuts is a great way to increase your daily productivity.
Improve Efficiency and Multitasking
Using your mouse or trackpad to perform an operation as simple as opening a new tab on your internet browser can take a couple seconds. That amount of time may seem insignificant at first. But think of how many times a day you use your cursor to perform an operation that could be done with a keyboard shortcut. Add all those seconds together throughout the course of your day, and you might be surprised at the result.
How much can shortcuts really help with increasing productivity? Does it really take that much longer to use a mouse to copy and paste text? While the length of time depends on the task at hand, there’s no doubt that keyboard shortcuts can certainly be more efficient.
For example, if you need to copy and paste text from a very lengthy document, it’s much easier to tap a couple keys than to highlight and scroll through the whole thing. You can use your mouse to Right Click+Copy a URL, go File-New Tab, select the URL field, and Right Click-Paste it. Or, you can hold down the CTRL key and then press C, then T, then V.
Help Prevent Some Health Issues
In addition to increasing productivity, using keyboard shortcuts can also help prevent some common computer-related health issues. Using a mouse continuously throughout the day requires your hand to make repeated small, precise movements. It’s not uncommon for people who work at a computer all day to experience Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) in the fingers, hand, wrist, arm, or shoulder of their mouse hand. These injuries can include edema, tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
By mixing in some keyboard shortcuts with mouse use, you change the position of your hand enough to help avoid developing RSI.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Increasing Productivity
The only downside to keyboard shortcuts is that they can have different functions depending on the operating system a computer runs, or even from program to program. But, they’re easy to remember once you’ve mastered them – especially for tasks you use often. Here are some helpful keyboard shortcuts to get you started:
Windows
- CTRL+A – select all
- CTRL+X, CTRL+C, CTRL+V – cut, copy, and paste
- CTRL+Z, CTRL+Y – undo, redo
- CTRL+F – find a word or phrase on a page or in a document
- CTRL+N, CTRL+T – open new window, open new tab
- CTRL+B, CTRL+U, CTRL+I – bold, underline, or italicize text
- ALT+D, ALT+C, or F6 – go to the address bar, depending on language
- Windows Key+T – cycle through apps
- Windows Key+M – minimize all open windows
- ALT+Tab – switch between open apps/windows
Mac
- Command+A – select all
- Command+X, Command+C, Command+V – cut, copy, and past
- Command+Z, Command+Y – undo, redo
- Command+F – find a word or phrase on a page or in a document
- Command+N, Command+T – open new window, open new tab
- Command+B, Command+U, Command+I – bold, underline, or italicize text
- Command+Q – quit any program
- Command+Tab – switch between open apps
- Command+Shift+3, Command+Shift+4 – take a screenshot of your entire screen, or take a screenshot of a selected area with your cursor
- Command+Shift+A, Command+Shift+U, Command+Shift+D, Command+Shift+H – go to your Applications folder, Utilities folder, Desktop, or Home
This is by no means a complete listing. There’s an infinite number of keyboard shortcuts, and you really only have to worry about memorizing the ones that are most useful to you. For a larger listing, check out this helpful table of keyboard shortcuts.
Increasing Productivity with BayCCS
Learning some keyboard shortcuts is a simple way to help you through your work day. If you’re interested in other ways to increase your productivity, BayCCS can help. We offer a variety of services that can help your business function for efficiently. Whether you need IT consulting or computer networking, our team of experts can walk you through it. Contact us today for your consultation!