Keyboard shortcuts are a powerful tool and learning them can take some time, but the benefits including increasing/improving your productivity, reduction in errors, and working faster —are worth it. Instead of using a mouse or trackpad to perform the desired operations, keyboard shortcuts let you quickly carry out these operations with only a few keystrokes in a couple of seconds. There is nearly always a keyboard shortcut that may help you work faster and increase productivity, whether you’re editing text, browsing a web page, or carrying out intricate operations in a software program.
One of the many substantial benefits of keyboard shortcuts is that they can aid reduce strain on your hands and wrists. Extensive use of a mouse or trackpad might result in repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. You can minimize the amount of mouse movement needed and the total strain on your hands and wrists by utilizing keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts can also help you maintain faster typing and increase overall accuracy, allowing you to operate more efficiently and precisely.
While these shortcuts could be the same in most programs and applications, they could mean different in other programs and applications. With that said, here are the ten most commonly used keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts apply to both Windows OS, MacOS, and Linux although they are differentiated by pressing Ctrl in Windows and Linux, and Cmd in Mac.
- Ctrl + C / Cmd + C: Copy This shortcut is used to copy selected text or a file. Highlight the text or select a file, and press the command to copy it to the clipboard.
- Ctrl + V / Cmd + V: This shortcut is used to paste the copied text or file to another location. So after pressing the command Ctrl + C / Cmd + C, you then go ahead and press the paste command.
- Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z: This shortcut is used to undo the last action and this comes in handy when you make a mistake and need to undo it quickly. I have to say, this is one of my favorite commands (wink).
- Ctrl + A / Cmd + A: This shortcut is used to select all the text or files in a document or folder. This comes in handy when you need to select all the items in a large document or folder.
- Ctrl + X / Cmd + X: This shortcut is used to cut selected text or files. This shortcut is handy when you need to move text or files to another location. This is similar to Ctrl + C / Cmd + C the only difference is that Ctrl + X / Cmd + X erases the selected text or files from its origin.
- Ctrl + S / Cmd + S: This shortcut is used to save a document or file. This shortcut is handy when you need to save your work quickly.
- Ctrl + F / Cmd + F: This shortcut is used to find specific text or files in a document or folder quickly.
- Ctrl + P / Cmd + P: This shortcut is used to print a document or file.
- Alt + Tab / Cmd + Tab: This is used to switch between open windows.
- Ctrl + Alt + Del / Ctrl + Shift + Esc: To open the Task Manager, this is the shortcut for you. This shortcut is handy when you need to close an unresponsive application or monitor system performance.
In conclusion, these are just a few of the most commonly used keyboard shortcuts, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with them. Learning keyboard shortcuts can take some time, but the benefits are worth it. They can help you work faster, reduce errors, and improve your overall productivity. So, the next time you’re using your computer, try using some of these shortcuts and see how much time you can save.
