How to Avoid Biting Your Fingernails

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By Aaron Leal
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Nail Biting

Biting your fingernails is a very bad habit. A social stigma fallows people that bite their nails and it is not a pleasant one. Once you make it a habit of biting your nails it can be difficult to stop, but an attempt should definitely be made. This habit is not nice and that goes for people of any age. Personally I feel you can tell a lot from a person just by looking at their hands and a hand with bitten fingernails might give a negative impression of nervousness and anxiety. There are a few things you can do to help stop biting your fingernails and I will give you a few suggestions.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

First, like any bad habit you must acknowledge you have this problem and also have a sincere desire to rid your self of this habit. This habit is similar to many other bad habits. Usually the individual with the problem does not even recognize they have the problem because they have been doing it for so long. Many times this problem stems from childhood and could have been brought on by a number of things like fear or nervousness. This fingernail biting may even give the individual a sense of comfort in some way and that is why it is so difficult to break. The brain in these individuals can relate the fingernail biting to a feeling of ease. Until they acknowledge it as a problem and decide to fix it will they secede in their efforts.
Step 2

Second, you must find something to preoccupy your self with when you feel an urge to bite your nails. A common thing you can try is carry around with you some chewing gum and as soon as you feel like you are going to but your fingers in your mouth stop your self and instead put the chewing gum in your mouth. This can help tremendously. Also it helps if you continuously are chewing gum because the urge to bite your nails might never occur when you have gum in your mouth. Gum works for many people but if it does not work for you find another way to preoccupy yourself when you get this feeling.
Step 3

Third, you should have the people around you help you. If you explain to the people around you what you are trying to do you can use them as a too to help you do it. Just tell them to keep an eye on you and if they see you biting or getting ready to bite your fingernails to tell you. Remember many times the people with the habit do not even realize they are doing it because they have been doing it for so long. Having a group of friend’s help you get rid of this habit is very effective especially if they are persistent with it.

Comments

velosity said

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on 7/26/2009 It's a very bad habit to break! Thanks for the tips!

chrisanimelo444 said

on 7/19/2009 Great advice. You provided excellent detail. Keep it up!

Other techniques those with the nail biting habit may want to try is taking part in a reward system of some sort, protecting one nail at a time, or starting a hobby to take the place of nail biting.

For more information on detailed methods you can try in order to prevent nail biting temptation, visit http://www.saladsticks.com/2009/07/stop-biting-those-fingernails.html