Once you have obtained a keyboard that is aligned with your physical dimensions, you can focus on improving your usage patterns. When building a house, you need to use the right tool for the job. When using a keyboard, it is important to rely on larger fingers to carry heavier workloads. The pinky finger is the smallest digit and was not designed to do “heavy lifting” on the keyboard. The ring or fourth finger and the third or middle fingers are more robust, and should be used where possible to maximize productivity and reduce stress on the pinky and index finger. For example, rather than press the arrow, Control, and Shift keys with more fragile digits, you can move your entire hand and push these keys with your third and/or fourth finger. A colleague of mine developed trigger finger in his right pinky from overusing his pinky to press the arrow keys. It was incredibly painful, and prevented him from using his pinky again for several weeks. Notice how you type and press commands on your keyboard and try to optimize the fingers you use. It is best to change your usage patterns before you develop pain.

Use larger appendages, where possible, to handle heavier workloads and increase productivity.

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