Sustained Typing Performance

Long-distance runners often use the term “second wind” to reference a period of time when they feel physical exhaustion disappear and a sudden mental ease and energizing mental shift take over. This type of experience also occurs in professional typing. Most people experience an energy dip at about the three-minute mark of a five-minute typing test. The objective of Lesson 46 is to teach you to push through that energy dip and to help you reach your sustained typing performance peak.

The Science Behind the Mid-Test Energy Dip

When you type quickly for a few minutes, your body operates at a very high nervous system intensity level. Some people do not realize that their body operates at that level. During the second third of the typing test, there are likely to be some neurotransmitters that are depleted due to the activity. This results in a feeling of “heavy hands.” This is often when your typing accuracy decreases. The first step is to relax the nerves that are super tensed. One way to accomplish this is to “loosen” your grip. Most typists subconsciously keep their fingers and hands super tense as they type. So, consciously relax your fingers and hands for about five seconds. This will help restore the blood flow to your fingers and will provide a boost of energy.

Metamorphosis of Thought: From Words to Patterns

During initial moments of the test, the brain zones in on individual words. However, to ease the mental strain of sustained performance on the keyboard during the 4th /5th minute test, try to view the typing test as aural rhythmic patterns instead of words. In the Kruti Dev typing layout, particular letter combinations are repeated often. By now, your fingers should envisage the combinations as a single “chord”. The moment you transgress the stage of cognitive engagement to active rhythmic typing, the mental strain associated with the typing task dissipates and you should be able to tackle the challenge with very little effort, while completing the exercise at an excellent rate with minimal exhaustion.

Breathing as an Instrument of Enhanced Performance

Your body’s major energy source in addition to fat, is oxygen, hence the need to replenish your body with it to supply energy. If you happen to be one of the many people who increase their rate of breathing when typing because it is a stressful task, as a result, the task can result in a burnout before the task is completed. In this particular exercise, try and maintain “box breathing,” in which breathing is divided in a 4 seconds time. The subsequent oxygen supply to your various muscle groups and your thinking cerebrum keeps it away from the “final minute of panic” phenomenon that is often associated with short time typing tests.