How To Stop Biting Your Nails
Hey, friend. I think we need to talk. Do you feel like you’re not in control of your own hands and teeth? Do you constantly look down and realize that you’ve messed with your nails? Do you sometimes find yourself in the middle of biting your nails without actively thinking about it? Well, maybe it’s time you start addressing this issue.
But how do you do that? How can you stop a habit that you’ve probably been continuing for a while? How do you change yourself for the better? Here are a few tips to help you start down the journey.
1. Use Nail Polish
The first idea is to get something that will train your mind to not seek that bad habit. One light punishment you can give yourself is to put bitter-tasting nail polish on your nails. That way, you’ll get that bad taste and eventually come to expect it. That will, hopefully, help you fight off the habit.
2. Get Chewing Gum
Or, substitute that bad habit with a different habit. If you bite your nails out because you have nothing else to distract you, consider buying and chewing more gum. This will keep your mind and body busy with other tasks.
3. Keep Your Hands Busy
Along the same lines, you might want to try other things to keep your hands busy. When you feel the urge to bite, grab your phone and scroll. If you don’t want to substitute one habit with another bad habit, find good or helpful habits that will keep your hands busy.
4. Wear Gloves
Or, you can just find ways to completely block yourself off from the bite entirely. For instance, maybe you’ll want to buy gloves. This is especially great for the winter months if you live in a place where it gets annually cold. Wear those gloves around and you’ll have an easier way to deny yourself from the bite.
5. Keep Your Nails Short
You can also always keep your nails short. Go to get a manicure regularly or just make sure to maintain short nails yourself. That way, you’ll have nothing to bite in the first place.
6. Think About The Germs
And if all else fails, think about the germs that are involved. Most people don’t clean their hands as much as they think they do. And even worse, many rarely clean under their nails. With all the things that we touch, imagine all the germy things hiding under our nails. It’s not pretty. And then, of course, that all goes into your teeth and mouth. No thanks!
7. Ask Your Friends For Help
You can also look for external sources of help like your friends, family, roommates, and more. Tell them about your problem and ask them to keep you accountable to change. If they catch you biting, allow them to call you on it. That way, you have a better chance of making the change you want in your life.
8. Recognize Your Triggers
And if you want real lasting change, you’ll have to take the time to realize why you have this habit in the first place. What triggers you into biting your nails? Is it anxiety? Trauma? Boredom? Find your triggers so that you can then find solutions. That way, you’ll be able to consciously bring about change.
9. Recognize Your Triggers
One final step to help you create the change you seek is to reward yourself for when you stop yourself from biting. Got the urge to bite but held yourself off? Go get a scoop of ice cream! Proud of yourself for stalling your biting for a couple of days? Celebrate that milestone by buying a small gift for yourself. Having incentives and rewards can help excite you to keep doing. Then, see how far you can go!
