Do you find yourself the slowest at typing on your computer in the room? In this day and age of typing, increasing your speed can help you get more work done in a shorter amount of time. Learning how to type faster on a computer is actually rather simple. The trick however is to practice the following tips so that you can increase your speed over a relatively short period of time.
Whether you need to speed up a little or a lot, you may want to try a “type and learn” program to help you with the basics of typing. This can be especially good if you have not had any formal training in typing. Many of these programs will start off slowly, but in a short period of time you’ll find that the exercises will speed up your pace.
What follows are some tried and true methods and you’ll be typing faster in no time. Just remember to keep focused and not get discouraged. Everyone learns at their own speed, so take these tips to heart.
Always Look at the Screen
Once you set your fingers properly on the keyboard, lift your eyes and keep them on the screen. You want to see the results of your typing, not the typing itself. Looking at your fingers is a bad habit that needs to be broken if you are going to speed up your typing.
Your Wrists should Rest at the Bottom of the Keyboard
If your wrists are in the air, you will never be able to type fast. So keep your wrists at the bottom of the keyboard with computers. For laptops, they should rest below the spacebar. You’ll want to have them in a comfortable position so that there is no strain.
Keep at least One Thumb On or Just Above the Space Bar
You use the space bar more than any other key, so keep at least one thumb on or just above it so you will never have to backspace just to add a space again. This will get you to type faster and use the space bar properly as well.
Eliminate Distractions
One reason why you may not be typing as fast as you should is that you have too many distractions. You’ll want to eliminate reasons to stop typing so you can focus on your work. Its okay to take a break now and then, but you should set goals before taking those breaks so you can complete your work on time.
Your Mind Should be just Ahead of the Words You Type
When typing, you want to focus on what you are doing. However, the faster you type, the more your mind will anticipate the next letter even before you type the previous one. If you are making a lot of mistakes, then you want to slow down the pace in which you anticipate the next letter. By focusing more, you can type words more correctly and make fewer mistakes while increasing your overall speed.