How to Work Faster and More Efficiently on a Mac

Mac computers are developed for performance and durability. They are built with industry-leading hardware to ensure they are of the best quality. The computer only requires regular, moderate care to serve you for many years.

Sometimes Macs tend to be slow, which affects their efficiency. To improve productivity, make sure the computer is free from viruses. Maintain good hardware health for improved productivity. The computer will be more efficient if you learn to use shortcuts. Here are tips for working faster and increasing Mac productivity.

how to improve Mac productivity

Keep your Mac clean from viruses

Many things affect the speed of a Mac and its efficiency, and one of them is viruses. Cleanliness includes issues such as removing viruses and unwanted files. Many people believe in the myth that Macs are immune to viruses. While it is built to resist most viruses, it still gets virus attacks. It could experience a Distributed Denial of Service attack.

Some viruses replicate files until storage fills up. Other types, such as Baron Virus, hijack your browser and change its settings. One of the ways to prevent viruses from accessing your Mac is regular scanning. Use an antivirus to scan and remove viruses. This article provides you with guidance for removing the Baron Virus. This Bing-redirecting virus is a real menace, so you, as a Mac user, act immediately to remove it from your PC.

Learn to use keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts help you to work faster with enhanced efficiency. It helps improve your productivity by allowing you to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Using shortcuts, you can easily switch from one window or app to the next. You will not keep changing focus from the keyboard to the mouse, which lowers efficiency. It increases your precision which means you work with greater accuracy. Here are some simple Mc keyboard shortcuts.

  • Command + X to cut selected text/content
  • Command + v to paste the cut text
  • Command + C to copy items
  • Command + A to select an entire page

Do not stick in too many folders or install too many applications

When you are productive, you can keep creating new documents and folders all the time. Your Mac keeps a sustained speed until a certain point where it becomes slow. The sudden effect on speed is due to limited space in Mac storage. It could be because you have installed too many applications or documents. It is time to clean your Mac and remove excess documents and applications.

Go to File Finder, and then open the Go menu, then select go to the folder. In the field that opens, type /var/log and then tap enter on the keyboard. All your system log files will be displayed. Highlight all the files you want to remove and delete them. Another option is to open the folder where you have saved your files. Next, delete all the folders you want to remove or save them on an external disk.

Use Mac Mission Control

It takes time to switch from one window, app, or desktop space to the next. When you spend more time clicking on tabs, your focus gets distracted. It has an impact on your efficiency and productivity. Eliminate this problem with the use of the Mac Mission Control feature.

It provides you with a bird’s eye view of your open apps, windows, and desktop spaces. It arranges them on your desktop so that you can easily click on the item you want to view in full screen. You may also opt to view several items in the split view. This way, you will use less time to switch between documents.

Keep your Mac hardware healthy

The health of your Mac hardware impacts its speed and efficiency. Hardware can affect efficiency so much that your Mac stops working. Many things affect hardware health, such as overheating, dust pile-up, and age. Overheating can be due to working for many hours or a faulty fan. Liquids can permanently damage your Mac or cause it to work slowly.

Here are a few tips to keep your Mac hardware healthy.

  • When working, ensure nothing blocks the ventilation
  • Do not place heavy items on the keyboard
  • Ensure the fun is always working well
  • Avoid placing liquids near your Mac. Accidents happen, and they could spill on the computer and damage it.
  • Always place your Mac in a stable, flat workspace.
  • Avoid working in a room where temperatures are too high
  • Blow off dust from your Mac often.
  • Avoid storing your Mac in hibernation/sleep mode. Instead, shut it down completely when it is not in use.

Keep your files organized

File organization is crucial if you want to achieve improved efficiency and work faster. To have file efficiency means you can find applications and files quickly. It also means they open faster and save time. You cannot be productive on Mac if you spend several minutes locating documents. The solution is to keep your desktop organized.

You might want to designate space in the hard disk for storing your folders. Create several folders and name them according to their content. You may have a folder for invoices, designs, music, leads, contacts, and so on. It becomes easy to locate a document every time you need it. You will easily notice files or documents you no longer need and remove them.

Make sure you have enough memory

The RAM is the main CPU memory. It is the unit responsible for instructing the computer on what to do. When the CPU is up to date, it completes instructions faster. The RAM is housed in the CPU to provide temporary storage for apps and documents. It stores the recently accessed data for ease of access and speed.

Just like the hard drive, RAM storage fills up with apps and documents. Clean up the RAM to allow more temporary storage space. You may want to upgrade the RAM by adding an extra chip to increase the amount of memory.

Limit the number of browser plugins/extensions

Plugins help expand the functionality of browsers and allow a developer to add new features. Regardless of their benefits, too many plugins disrupt Mac performance. They become potential attack vectors that create further risk to your Mac. Due to an extended number of plugins, more of your Mac’s system resources are consumed. The solution is to limit the volume of plugins that you allow. Your Mac will work faster and more efficiently.

Conclusion

Mac is built to work with optimized speed and efficiency. However, this benefit is affected if you do not take proper care of the computer. To improve Mac productivity, learn to use keyboard shortcuts. Keep the hardware healthy by ensuring each component is working smoothly. Browser extensions help improve functionality and increase features. However, do not allow too many extensions because they reduce speed. Keep your files organized to make access and retrieval easier. Learn to use macOS features such as Mission Control, media, iCloud, organization, and creativity-based features.

author avatar
Salman Zafar
Salman Zafar is the CEO of BioEnergy Consult, and an international consultant, advisor and trainer with expertise in waste management, biomass energy, waste-to-energy, environment protection and resource conservation. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biogas technology, biomass energy, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. Salman has participated in numerous national and international conferences all over the world. He is a prolific environmental journalist, and has authored more than 300 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. In addition, he is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability through his blogs and portals. Salman can be reached at salman@bioenergyconsult.com or salman@cleantechloops.com.

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