Have you ever been driven mad by a colleague’s loud, incessant typing?
Or perhaps you’ve cringed at the sight of someone laboriously tapping away at their keyboard, finger by finger.
On the other hand, maybe you’ve been impressed by someone’s lightning-fast typing speed and felt a sudden competitive spark ignite within you.
Whatever your feelings are about typing, one thing is certain — typing is just like life itself, a source of frustration, amusement, and admiration all in one in the workplace.
I’d like to share a few thoughts I have about typing.
1. The Competition
I personally love setting up friendly competitions in my workplace using 10fastfingers.com. I think it’s a beautiful, fun, and light-hearted way to build friendships and camaraderie in the workplace. It can be a simple and entertaining way to get to know your colleagues and learn about their personalities and preferences. Getting to know each other’s speed is also a test to know to what extent their competitive spirit is — would they be frightened by people who are fast? Or have stage fright when they are doing something they are not comfortable with? Or does the challenge of competing with a faster type awaken their spirit to improve their skills? Overall, comparing typing speeds can be a unique and enjoyable way to connect with your colleagues and learn more about each other.
2. The Keyboard
It’s another way to demonstrate and test out how the keyboard works. It sounds so simple because technically it's an essential tool for any computer user, but having a good keyboard makes a huge difference in the typing experience. There are 5 must-have features of a good keyboard:
- Comfortable and ergonomic design: A good keyboard should be comfortable to use for extended periods of time, with keys that are easy to reach and press. Look for keyboards with ergonomic designs that support your natural hand and wrist positions, to help reduce strain and fatigue.
- Responsive keys: The keys on a good keyboard should have a satisfying, tactile feel when pressed, and should be responsive to your touch. This will help you type accurately and smoothly, without having to exert too much force or press the keys multiple times.
- Customizable keys: Some keyboards allow you to customize the function of certain keys, such as assigning shortcuts or macros to specific keys. For example, I love the Logitech Pop Keys — I can set Emojis to my messages very easily!! 👍🤣 😍 (please give some 👏 to my writing if you like it 😉)
- Backlighting: A bonus feature is backlit in the backlit keyboards. These are getting increasingly popular since gamers ruled the digital world. A useful feature to this, they can work in dimly-lit environments, or who prefer to type in the dark (don’t forget it’s not great for your eyes, though).
- Durability: Last but not least, a good keyboard should last a long time with you, be durable and well-built, with keys that are unlikely to break or wear out over time. Look for keyboards with high-quality construction and materials, to ensure that they will last for many years!
3. The Therapy
Typing can be a great way to relieve stress and take your mind off things and relax. The repetitive motion and rhythmic tapping of the keys and the focus required to form words and sentences can be soothing, and help you focus on putting words on the screen can help you forget about whatever’s bothering you. Plus, the satisfaction of creating something — whether it’s a work email, a social media post, or just a random rant — can give you a little mood boost. So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, give typing a try! It might just be the stress relief you need.
4. Four Tips to Type Faster
Here are a few simple steps to help you type faster and more efficiently:
- Sit up straight and position your hands and wrists comfortably;
- Practice touch typing to get rid of the need to look at the keys;
- Use keyboard shortcuts to save time on common tasks;
- Learn to love typing, and love improving. Don’t mind if your speed is slow — focus on improving your wpm (words per minute).
With a little practice, you’ll be typing like a pro and boosting your productivity by 10x in no time!
5. A Poem about the Love of Typing
Lastly, I’ll end it off with a poem:
Esther sits at her desk,
Fingers poised above the keys,
Ready to type with grace and ease,
As she sets her thoughts free.
The words flow from her mind,
Onto the screen with a gentle tap,
Her typing skills so refined,
She never has to look back.
Her fingers dance across the keys,
With a rhythm all their own,
As she crafts her tale with ease,
A story that will be shown.
With each stroke and each tap,
Esther’s words come alive,
Her talent for typing on display,
As she takes us on a wondrous ride.
So here’s to Esther, the typing queen,
Whose skills are unmatched and rare,
For she brings her words to life,
With a talent beyond compare.
(Thanks ChatGPT gifting me a poem and being the main editor of the blog! You are lovely *Esther’s shy face emoji* 🥺)