Touch typing is an important skill in today’s digital age that can provide you with a substantial edge. it can increase your productivity and efficiency, and allow you to tackle computer-related tasks in less time. However, like any other skill, people make some common mistakes that affect their typing speed and accuracy. So in this post, we will be discussing some of the common touch typing mistakes that you should avoid.
1. Incorrect Posture
One of the most common mistakes that people make while learning touch typing is that they don’t maintain a correct posture or positioning. To learn touch typing in a comfortable way, it is necessary that you maintain the correct posture because when you have to type for longer periods, then an incorrect posture or finger positioning can lead to physical strain and injury.
Keep your feet flat on the ground, back straight, arm at a 90-degree angle, and keys placed on the home row keys position.
2. Looking at the Keyboard
Touch typing is all about typing fast without looking at the keyboard and if you start looking at the keyboard then it can affect both your speed and accuracy. If you keep on looking at the keyboard while typing then you won’t be able to properly learn touch typing and improve your typing speed.
Break your habit of looking at the keyboard and learn to type without looking at the keyboard. In the start, it might be hard to do so but as you practice consistently, you will be able to get rid of this habit.
3. Using Two Fingers Only
Another common mistake that we see even professional typers make is that they type using just two fingers. If you are typing with one finger or two fingers, then it will slow you down and also decrease your accuracy. Learning to type the correct way involves using all 10 fingers of both your hands for typing so that you can type fast and accurately without relying on one or two fingers only.
4. Focusing on Improving Speed
Whenever people start to learn touch typing, they tend to focus on typing speed because they think that their typing WPM speed is determined by how fast they type but that is not true. Your typing speed is determined both by how fast and accurate you can type. So in the start when you are just getting started, prioritize accuracy instead of speed because accuracy is more important than speed.
Once your typing accuracy increases, speed will come naturally. However, you cannot achieve accuracy after learning how to type fast.
5. Not Taking Breaks
Taking small and frequent breaks while typing is essential because typing for extended periods without breaks can lead to physical strain and wrist pain. No matter how ergonomic your chair and keyboard are, extended periods of typing can still lead to physical strain and taking breaks is necessary to improve your Typing/Keyboarding skills. Therefore, to avoid any discomfort or injury from happening, it is suggested that you take regular breaks after a while to rest your eyes, stretch your fingers, and relax your wrists.
6. Not Practicing Regularly
Remember that if you want to learn touch typing, you need to practice regularly. Touch typing is a skill that you can only develop and perfect with regular practice and consistency. If you fail to practice regularly, then not only will you slow down and your accuracy will decrease but you also won’t be able to build muscle memory, which is the key to learning touch typing.
