Warning – this may be the most controversial advice I share.
Physically remove the keys on your keyboard which you don’t use but get in your way.
This is especially the case for your work keyboard.
Before you recoil, hear me out.
How many times have you bumped the F1 key but never needed help?
How many times have you wondered why your screen is moving when you hit the arrow keys and finally realised that Scroll Lock was unintentionally on?
How many times have you needed the key that triggers the right-click button on your mouse?
There are many keys that you don’t use that get in the way of the keys you want to use.
The cleanest solution is to remove them.
But don’t freak out.
You may be scared that you’ll damage company property.
Or that you’ll break the keyboard.
Or that (for whatever reason) you’ll need to use the F1 key again.
Relax.
First of all, the keys pop off very easily without damage. I recommend using a butter knife with a rounded edge to give them a gentle jostle. (I also recommend putting the keys into a little container and keeping them in your desk drawer for future retrieval).
Second, the keys reattach very easily. If you need to use a certain key again or return the keyboard in full, then firmly place each key into its spot and they’ll click back into place.
Third, if you ultimately damage the keyboard or lose any removed keys, the productivity gains from not having the keys will greatly exceed the replacement cost of the whole keyboard. Keyboards are super cheap and you’re probably using the same one for a very long time, so you’re probably over-estimating what could go wrong.
Like I said at the start – this advice is controversial, but I stand by the sentiment that your keyboard should only have the keys it needs.
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