In this article I will explain how to stop bitting nails with what has worked for me, since I myself have been several years with this bad vice. Therefore, I will not be based on theory, but on pure practice and actions that can also serve you.
You may have tried everything to control onychophagia and have seen no results, but with the right actions you can stop biting your nails. The effort will be worth it, since it is a bad habit, almost an addiction, which can produce unpleasant consequences.
It is a habit that often begins in childhood, sometimes in adolescence, and can continue into adulthood. Regarding sex there is equality. Although women seem more concerned about the aesthetic problem and come for help more than men.
Some surveys show 45% of children during puberty, 25% of college students and about 10% of adults over 35 years of age compulsively bite their nails..
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The problem with habits is that you do not realize that you are doing it because it is routine and you are hardly aware of it. You can bite your nails and not be able to avoid it because you are not aware of it. Usually it is anxiety, stress and boredom that causes this habit..
This is a way to relieve anxiety, and frustration or loneliness can act as triggers. On the other hand, it is possible that genetics may play a role..
It can also be the symptom of a psychological condition such as obsessive compulsive disorder, and children who have attention deficit, defiant disorder, or anxiety are more likely to do so..
Nail biting can have emotional and physical problems. First, biting nails and cuticles can leave your fingers red and sore. The area around the nails can bleed and can become infected.
Also, bacteria and viruses can pass through your fingers into your mouth and make you more vulnerable to infection. It can also lead to weak or misaligned teeth..
Finally, the appearance can be unsightly, which in turn leads to more anxiety and stress. For teens and adults who continue to bite their nails, some techniques have proven effective.
If it has taken you many years to try for this bad habit, it is probably because you have not committed enough.
You then have to make a serious commitment to stop biting them. Some tips: Write down the commitment on a post-it and leave it in a visible place.
Tell people close to you. This usually works very well; If you communicate to other people that you want to quit that habit, your commitment will grow.
I call leverage to reflect and be aware of the consequences that following this habit will have. Will you still have ugly nails? What negative consequences will continue to bite your nails?
This step is important because it will act as a motivation for the critical moments when you feel like putting your fingers in your mouth..
By moments of alert I mean those in which it is more likely that you will start biting your nails and it is more difficult for you to stop..
They are usually:
Think then in which situations you are most likely to start doing it. For example: when you sit down to watch TV, when you argue, when you get nervous ...
It is necessary that you realize that you are in a moment of alert, because it is possible that you go through one, bite your nails and not even realize it.
Focusing on the present moment would involve knowing what you are thinking and feeling. You will have the urge to put your hands to your mouth although you will have to avoid it.
In this regard, I recommend mindfulness, a psychological skill with innumerable benefits and that will also help you in this task..
With the identification and experience of the "present moment" you will have taken a big step, because you will be aware of the moment when you are going to eat your nails.
But now, you have to avoid doing it anyway. Actually, I think that here you can use your creativity and you don't have to adjust to what I tell you, but I will tell you what I have informed myself that works and what has worked for me..
If you have another habit to do and to replace by biting your nails, you will advance much faster.
In my case it has worked very well for me to learn the belly breathing technique to do it at critical moments. To such an extent that it became a habit. Practicing minfulness and breathing technique made me aware of how I breathe.
Others are:
Important: you will have to do this at the critical moment, when you perceive that you feel like biting yourself.
The important thing here is that what works best is to replace the habit with another. That is, it will not work so well, try to stop biting you, but do something completely different in its place and prevent you from biting..
When you've managed to go a day without biting your nails, reward yourself with something that has value to you. You can make a plan like this:
-1 day without biting your nails - reward. For example: going to the movies, eating your favorite food, a gift.
-7 days without biting your nails - reward.
-15 days without biting your nails-reward.
-1 month-reward.
In addition to rewarding that you have managed to go a while without biting yourself, it is good that you reward good habits. If, for example, you go for a run just after you feel like biting your nails, it will be good to give yourself a reward so that this new behavior takes hold..
A reminder will allow you to remember your commitment every time you are close to falling into temptation.
They can be several:
From what I have researched, and I know for myself, nail bites often seek perfection; they want the nails to be perfectly aligned.
Well, forget about being a perfectionist, you just have to start thinking differently. That is, to think that it is not necessary for everything to be perfect, it does not matter if someone sees your nails imperfect. Even if you start biting yourself, stop, it doesn't matter that you have left your nail "imperfect".
Once you have taken the first step and have spent a few days without falling into temptation, you will have to maintain progress and not lose all the way you have traveled.
Of course you will have to continue practicing all the previous steps, although you can also use methods to see your progress and thus maintain and increase your motivation.
For example, you can take pictures of your nails to be aware of your progress. When you observe them, you will be more motivated because you will think that your effort has been worth it. This is as simple as taking pictures of your hands with your smartphone.
Your results will be magnified if you work on some possible causes of this vice. To improve self-esteem I recommend you read this article.
In addition to the aforementioned, you can use other methods that help you, both to complement and as alternatives:
And what has it served you? Have you been able to stop? Why did you start? You can comment in the comments section, I am interested in your opinion. Thanks!
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