If You’re A Nail Biter Like I Was Here’s Some Help
If you’re a nail biter, there are a few tricks to help you stop.
I Was A Serial Nail Biter:
Hi, my name is Carla, and I was a serial nail biter. “Hi Carla!”
If you’re a nail biter now, or you were one in the past, you know it’s a terrible habit. And half the time you don’t even realize you’re dong it.
My mom decided to take me to get my nails done when I was about 15, thinking it would help. It helped, but now I’ve spent money ever since then to get them done – because it really did help! However – I still start occasionally, and really have to catch myself.
About 30% of people bite their nails, but a new study figured out a simple hack that can possibly help even you stop.
The “Habit Replacement” Method:
It’s a form of “habit replacement,” where you swap in something self-soothing for something that’s self-harming. And the key to this one is, still involves your hands.
When you go to bite your nails, catch yourself! And try replacing the habit by gently stroking your forearm instead. I know – it sounds weird. But researchers had over 150 nail-biters do it for six weeks, and over half said it helped. By the end, 54% weren’t biting their nails as much.
When you’ve been a nail-biter for a long time, doing it can give you a hit of dopamine, because you actually enjoy the bad habit in a weird way. So one reason the technique works is it gives you a similar dopamine hit.
A Few More Tricks For Serial Nail Biters:
1. Lightly stroke your forearm with your fingertips: Don’t scratch, just gently run them up and down your forearm, or in circles. If you have hairy arms, you might not even need to touch your skin.
2. Rub the tips of your first two fingers against the tip of your thumb: Like you’re wadding up a tiny paper ball. Do it as lightly as you can.
3. Use the tips of your fingers on one hand to make circles in the palm of your other hand.
4. Lightly wrap the fingers on one hand around the thumb of your other hand, and slowly move your thumb in and out. (Yes – seems a bit R-rated, so maybe do this in the company of yourself)
5. Lightly brush the fingers on one hand across the knuckles on your other hand.
Experts say They say it’s best to choose one or two of those, and do them regularly until they become a habit. If you do them all and interchange a lot, it might not work as well.
