Managing Your Typing Stress

As mentioned previously, typing is a skill that requires precision. It involves a significant amount of coordination and control of the nervous system. During a two-minute test, the heart rate will increase naturally. If you’re not able to control your heart rate, it can cause something called “finger tremors” or “stoniness,” where the muscles tighten so much that they can’t move smoothly. The Typing Stress Management technique is the combination of your breath and your ability to stay relaxed, which will keep your body relaxed enough to remain in a condition of calm readiness.

The Fight or Flight Response during Exams

In a stressful situation, like a government typing test, your body can trigger the so-called “Fight or Flight” response. During a typing session like this, a lot of stress is created, and your body releases a lot of adrenaline. It helps with running and sprinting, but it is the exact opposite of what is required for typing and can damage the quality of your typing performance. Your movements are going to be exaggerated, and your movements will be uncoordinated. Completing Lesson 27 with a focus on belly or diaphragmatic breathing is giving your brain a signal that everything is calm and safe. When your body is calm and relaxed, the heart rate decreases, and your fingers stay relaxed enough to type.

Oxygenation and Fluidity of Muscles

The muscles that are associated with movement require oxygen to be able to complete the functions effectively. The act of holding one’s breath is commonplace in situations where there is a particularly challenging stimulus, however, such a behavior is counterintuitive. Holding one’s breath will ultimately lead to an increase in levels of carbon dioxide. This response will drive the person to a state of heightened anxiety and irritation physically. When one is attempting to manage a type of stress through typing, what is really going on is the regulation of one’s breath to the pace of the typing. It is best to not focus on a breath for each typewritten word, however, the goal is to take deep breaths in a rhythmic manner to avoid the so-called “pump” syndrome of the forearms, and to avoid too much stiffness. This is referred to as the pump syndrome. The last 30 seconds of the 2-minute test is considered the most important, as this is where the vast majority of shallow breaths are taken, and the loss of precision is most evident.Mental Anchoring Techniques

When you start to sense the panic from making a mistake or from your WPM (Words Per Minute) falling, you can try “Physical Anchoring.” This method has you pressing your feet into the ground or rubbing your fingers against the keycaps to pull your brain out of the “anxiety loop.” In this lesson, try to aim to be “emotionally flat.” You shouldn’t be emotionally impacted by a mistake, nor should you be excited by really high speeds. Instead, objectively watch your fingers. This is the kind of psychological stability that helps professional typists avoid burnout while maintaining a steady 50 WPM or higher.