If you’re going to spend your life with your hands hovering over a keyboard, you might as well do it right.

Or at least make the experience as tolerable as possible.

[source: The Huffington Post] And while most Mac users know basic keyboard shortcuts — command + “X” to cut, command +”V” to paste, etc. — there are so many more life-altering, time-saving tricks to be discovered. Let us lead you into the light.

1. If your boss walks by while you’re reading this article, press…

COMMAND + W

Command + W quickly closes the current tab on your web browser, which is helpful if you’re trying to sneak in a cat video (or worse) at work.

2. If your boss walks by and basically everything you’re reading is incriminating, press…

COMMAND + H

Command + H hides the current application and all of its windows. Because, let’s face it, sometimes more than one tab can be incriminating.

3. If you’re drowning in a sea of windows…

COMMAND + OPTION + M

Command + Option + M minimizes all your windows so you can create the illusion of a fresh start. But remember, “starting over” really just adds to the mess.

4. If you need to cut through the clutter, press…

COMMAND + F3

Command + F3 pushes all your open applications out of the way so you can actually see your desktop, so you can procrastinate dealing with impending application overload.

5. To become a tab-scrolling expert, press..

COMMAND + 1 (and so on)

Command + a number helps you easily scroll through the respective tabs in your web browser, so you can quickly see what you need and, more importantly, click out of what you don’t.

6. If you’re kind of picky about your computer volume, press…

OPTION + SHIFT + F11
and
OPTION + SHIFT + F12

Option+Shift+F11+F12 will lower or raise the volume in smaller increments than the typical volume symbols. WHO KNEW?

7. If you need to add a little psychedelic flavor to your day, press…

CONTROL + OPTION + COMMAND + 8

Control+Option+Command+8 reverses the colors on your screen. Now try going back and forth real, real fast. You will be transfixed.

8. If you don’t want to watch the entire hour-long YouTube video of your niece’s dance recital, press…

1, 2, 3 (and so on)

1, 2, 3 will advance the video to 10 percent completion, 20 percent completion, 30 percent completion, respectively (and so on and so forth). Take that, little niece.

9. If you frequently write words like “antidisestablishmentarianism,” press…

OPTION + DELETE

Option+Delete deletes entire words so you don’t have to hold down the delete key forever. Unfortunately, there is not a keyboard shortcut to ending your insufferable wordiness.

10. If your vocabulary isn’t quite as advanced, try…

CONTROL + COMMAND + D

Control+Command+D will define any highlighted word. Look at you, all literate now!

11. If formatting copied text drives you insane, try…

CONTROL + COMMAND+V

Control+Command+V pastes your copied text without including its formatting. Your formatting problems have now been disappeared.

12. If you’re a fast reader or a little over-caffeinated, try

COMMAND + UP
and
COMMAND + DOWN

Command+Up and Command+Down will make your scroll jump. This command will have you hopping through the text for a speedier, if not slightly erratic, reading experience.

13. If the feeling of the sun on your face has been permanently replaced with the feeling of your retina display on your face, try…

CONTROL + OPTION + COMMAND + EJECT

Control+Option+Command+Eject quickly shuts down your computer so you can get outside, you crazy, pasty kid! No, but seriously, go the heck outside.