One of the things that has helped me and many of my clients the most is learning to work with keyboard shortcuts. It takes a little time to learn them, but you’ll earn that back many times over because you can do things much faster. As an occupational therapist, though, I think the most important benefit of shortcuts is that they help you work in a more ergonomically sound way – which genuinely reduces your risk of physical complaints.
The benefits of using keyboard shortcuts
A few of the most important benefits of using more shortcuts:
- Use the mouse less often: Shortcuts mean you need to reach for your mouse less often. Moving the mouse and clicking may not seem very strenuous – they’re only small movements. But because they’re so repetitive, they put a lot of strain on your hand, wrist and arm. It’s not for nothing that RSI is often called “mouse arm”.
- Less time in the same posture: With shortcuts you can carry out tasks without taking your hands off the keyboard, so you spend less time holding the same position. And that’s the key to preventing complaints! Even with a very poor workstation, you can often work without complaints as long as you change position often and get up very regularly.
- Working faster: Shortcuts let you complete tasks with fewer clicks and movements. That makes you more efficient – which leaves more time to go for a little walk occasionally 😀
- Encouraging breaks: While shortcuts speed up your workflow, they can also encourage you to take the occasional break. Regularly taking your hands off the keyboard and doing a few stretching exercises contributes to a healthy working posture.
Below I list some of the most commonly used shortcuts for both Mac and Windows users. There are of course many more – and you can even create your own easily (more on that below).
Common keyboard shortcuts on Windows
Copy, cut and paste:
- Copy: Ctrl + C
- Cut: Ctrl + X
- Paste: Ctrl + V
Save and undo:
- Save: Ctrl + S
- Undo: Ctrl + Z
Managing windows:
- New window: Ctrl + N
- Switch between windows: Alt + Tab
- Minimise window: Win + Down
Screenshots:
- Capture the full screen: Win + PrtScn
- Capture a selected area: Win + Shift + S
Common keyboard shortcuts on Mac
Copy, cut and paste:
- Copy: Command + C
- Cut: Command + X
- Paste: Command + V
Save and undo:
- Save: Command + S
- Undo: Command + Z
Managing windows:
- New window: Command + N
- Switch between apps: Command + Tab
- Minimise window: Command + M
Screenshots:
- Capture the full screen: Command + Shift + 3
More shortcuts – and make your own!
This article only covers a handful of common shortcuts, but both Windows and Mac offer a huge number of standard shortcuts, including for functions you’ll rarely use.
It’s also straightforward to create your own shortcuts for functions you use regularly. And on both Mac (Automator) and Windows (Power Automate) computers, you can fully automate tasks that you often do and that consist of several steps.
How to learn them
Learning shortcuts takes some time and practice. I recommend starting with around 10 common combinations that match the tasks you typically carry out. Make sure you use them consistently – that’s the fastest way to learn them. As you get more familiar with these shortcuts, you’ll notice you need your mouse less often and work considerably faster.