Have you noticed the handwriting of the doctors? Surely yes. When they prescribe certain medicines or give orders for medical examinations, the handwriting is often unintelligible. We have to spend hours trying to figure out what it says. In fact, there are those who never manage to find out and that is why they resort to other means to find out.
This is not because doctors naturally have bad handwriting, rather it is related to the speed with which they write it. The same thing happens to some people, in order to save time or transcribe as much information as possible during a certain period of time.
Now, is there anything that can be done to type faster? Is there a proven technique that we can employ? What is needed to be able to achieve it? Is it necessary to have some special instruments?
If you are reading this article, you may be interested and need to know if there is a way to type faster. The good news is that there is and, on this occasion, we will be sharing with you some basic recommendations so that you can improve your writing time, without having to sacrifice your calligraphy. In such a way that it can be readable by others.
Likewise, we will also be giving you some techniques to write faster using the keyboard of your computer, another instrument that we often use when carrying out different types of activities.
So, by the end of reading this article, you will have new skills to write faster. Thus, you will save valuable time that you can invest in other pending tasks or rest, which is always necessary.
Therefore, do not stop reading so that you do not miss any detail. Everything will be very helpful to you. Let’s get down to business and see how to type faster.
Instructions to type faster
Writing is more than just conveying ideas and thoughts through letters and symbols. Actually, writing brings many benefits. For example, it helps you communicate more clearly by helping you figure out how to express complex ideas in a simple way.
It also helps you to combat stress, to be more productive, to be more aware of the reality that surrounds you, to learn more and better, to make better decisions, to be happier, to be more focused on what you want to achieve, to overcome the problems of daily life better and faster, to remember better, among other things.
For all that has been said above, it is worth writing and not leaving things to computer programs that make work easier by making the minimum of effort, but that do not contribute to developing any cognitive capacity.
Now, what can you do to type faster? Something that will help you follow these instructions to the letter:
- Hold the pen or pencil in a natural position that is comfortable for you. Although it is true that the way you hold the pencil does not influence the speed with which you write, the comfort you have when doing so is essential.
- By being in an awkward position you have a greater chance of cramping your hand or getting fatigued by the time you go halfway. In case it happens to you, the best thing you can do is change your position to one that is more comfortable and that allows you to continue with a good rhythm of writing.
- The most traditional way to hold a pencil is by resting it between your index finger and thumb, while resting on your middle finger.
- Place the sheet or notebook in a comfortable position. This can also be a determining factor. Tilting the page a certain way will help you feel more comfortable and thus improve your writing time.
- Maintain a good posture. When sitting down to write it is important that you keep your back straight and that your feet remain flat on the floor. Your lower back and hips should be fully supported by the chair you sit on.
- On the other hand, your knees and elbows should remain flexed for greater comfort, less fatigue, and improved stamina when typing.
- Try not to slouch. Every time you feel yourself doing it, adjust your posture so that you return to the correct posture.
- In case your chair is too low or the desk is too high, it is best to adjust the height so as not to sacrifice comfort when writing.
- Write a first draft and then revise it to make the necessary corrections. Since this is not the final piece of writing, you don’t need to be obsessed with grammar or spelling, these are details you can correct in a later revision.
- At this time it is more productive that you pay attention to writing concisely and precisely, since this is the longest part of the work. If you notice that you are stuck in a certain part, it is best to move on to another until you have the clearest ideas, so as not to waste valuable time.
- Set goals that are realistic. If you are new to the world of writing or you do not have experience writing with a pre-determined time frame, it is very likely that you will write more slowly than someone with some experience. For this reason, set goals that are consistent with your abilities. If you have expectations that are too high, you will only end up frustrated and stressed.
- If you’re striving for speed, daily goals may give you better results than shorter time frames like hourly ones.
- Practice frequently. Remember practice is what makes perfect. If you want to improve your typing speed, you need to do it daily. The more you write, the faster you will be and the better your calligraphy will look.
Use the methods that make you faster and leave aside those that slow down your writing.
While these instructions are important, what else do you need to speed up your typing pace?
What do you need to type faster?
- A pencil or pen that you don’t have to press hard to write. If the graphite in your pencil makes very clear lines, it will force you to exert a greater amount of force on it, which will cause you to tire quickly.
- Also, make sure that the pencil or pen is not so thin, so that its grip is easier and more effective. It also shouldn’t be so thick that it prevents you from typing comfortably.
- It has been proven that writing with a pencil is much faster than with a ballpoint pen. Therefore, if you are doing a draft or it is not a formal work, you can choose to write in pencil.
- A distraction-free environment. Some distractions can be the unnecessary use of the Internet, television programs, having chat conversations, etc. These will only make you less efficient and reduce the speed with which you type.
- The best thing you can do is locate a space in your house that is solitary and quiet to concentrate. Keep devices that could become a distraction, such as your tablet or cell phone, away.
- Clean your desktop and keep it tidy. This will also help you minimize potential distractions.
- A stopwatch or timer. This is a great way to measure your progress. Set the stopwatch or timer taking into account the goal you have previously achieved and try to meet it now in a shorter space of time.
- In case you do not have a physical stopwatch, you can download an application on your cell phone that fulfills the same function.
- Remember that this is a tool to remind you how much time you are spending writing. It should not be a stress-generating factor. The more stressed you are, the more mistakes you will make and the more you will have to correct, which represents a delay and not progress.
- Of course, of course, you should establish time to rest, otherwise you will end up exhausting yourself before finishing the assigned material. You can take a 3-5 minute break every 30 minutes or an hour to keep up a good writing pace.
But what other tips should you keep in mind to be able to write faster? Let’s see it right now.
Tips to type faster
Identify what time of day you are most productive. Some people have a clearer mind in the morning. Others prefer the tranquility of the night, since they have already carried out all the pending activities.
The best way to determine what time of day works best for you to write is to try both times. Then, strive to write as many words as possible in the period when you are most productive, and make corrections when you are less productive.
If you don’t have to write for an official job, you can use shorthand. Some of these methods are based on the use of symbols that represent letters, punctuation, and even whole words.
These symbols are usually simple and fast to write, much more than the letters and words of Spanish. This will help you gain speed when typing. Take the time to research and learn these alternative writing methods. It may take weeks or even months to master them perfectly.
If you follow these recommendations to the letter, you will be able to write as many words as possible in record time, which will help you to be much more effective when doing it by hand. But how can you improve your typing speed using the computer keyboard?
How to type faster using your keyboard?
A common mistake when typing on the keyboard is to focus on typing speed and not typing correctly. If you pay attention to typography, punctuation, spelling, and grammar, you’ll spend less time going back to read what’s already been written and fix any mistakes you may have.
When you write without errors you can redirect your efforts to gain typing speed and over time you will become a professional in the field.
On the other hand, it is important that you get used to your keyboard. Keep in mind that not all keyboards are the same. There are some that have particular characteristics. For example, there are those that have 104 keys, while others have 105 and even 106. Others have a large “ Enter” key, while others have a very small one.
The difference is more noticeable in the case of laptops, since for reasons of space, manufacturers cannot always insert a full keyboard.
Regarding the way to position the fingers on the keyboard, the most recommended is to place the index fingers on the “F” and “J” keys. These can be reference points to better locate the other letters and use them correctly, when the search exceeds the person’s awareness. This will be very useful when applying the typing technique, that is, writing without having to look at the keyboard all the time.
You will also need to find a rhythm that is comfortable, that allows you not to stay focused on speed, as this would make the movement of your fingers less natural when typing.
Finally, as in the case of handwriting, the last recommendation has to do with practice. If you get used to writing regularly, you will master the keyboard and have as few errors as possible, which will help you to be fast when writing.