My top Windows 10 Productivity Tips

Being productive, that is, getting things done and getting results depends on a whole stack of things, but one thing that stands out is: tool.

Having the right tool and knowing how to be efficient with it makes a huge difference in producing results.

As such, keyboard shortcuts can provide such boost.

My Preferred keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10:

• desktop switching through ctrl + window + arrow or window + tab and click on desktop
• window switching through alt + tab key
• minimising current window with window down arrow twice (once can be even better)
• split screen and moving an app around using window + arrow key

Images

Nowadays, we communicate a lot through images and videos. Gone are the time where we had to open Paint, copy the screen through Print Screen - crop required part and then save somewhere - before eventually sending it through channels such as email.

Now with the latest Windows builds, you can take a screenshot using Windows + Shift + S and paste directly on your communication app, such as Outlook, Slack or Skype. You can also annotate the image as the OS provides this option - where you can thereby save or copy to clipboard.

Screenshot, edit then paste on apps such as Slack, Skype - shortcut windows shift s

• useful for copy and paste in apps
• can also annotate through the app

Video Recording with Xbox App

You can also record your current desktop without having to install third party apps such as Camtasia. I find this feature useful to illustrate the steps of reproducing a bug.

Search

App and document searching by pressing windows key (introduced in windows 8) is excellent. Traditionally had to keep shortcuts on the desktop and open one by one. I can also pin and open the app.

Multiple Desktops

Another screen makes a big difference in terms of productivity. I have less items to keep in mental memory and less switching as well. I instead open one or two related apps in one desktop and only need to switch there whenever I need it. I can also create a new one for a new type of work without disturbing my current workflow.

Night Light

Night Light is a must enabled feature particularly nearing the end of the day. Studies and my personal experience show that being exposed to too much blue light from our computer screens in the few hours before going to bed will mess our sleep cycle, especially if we have the habit of using our mobile phones around this time.

You can scheduled this night light time, so that you don't have to enable and disable manually every time.