Nail biting has always been something I’ve struggled with. The saying “old habits die hard” was unfortunately all too true for me. At times my habit got so bad that my fingers would become sore. I tried every trick in the book in an attempt to quit biting my nails and it took me almost a year to finally stop. Now, my nails are healthy and after using these tips I hope that you too can break this habit!
Try acrylic nails
Acrylics are artificial nails placed on top of your real nails. They’re extremely sturdy, which means that biting them won’t be a problem. There are also many styles of acrylic nails that you could get. The best thing about acrylics is how cute they look! Personally, this was my favorite way of getting over my nail biting habit.
Avoid Stressful Situations
I know this is easier said than done but being stressed was the main thing that caused me to bite my nails. It really helped me to identify what was causing me to become stressed, and do my best to avoid it. If it was homework or grades that were stressing me out, I would take a deep breath, try to calm myself down, and take a little break.
Divert your Attention to Healthier Activities
Sometimes the only way to break an old habit is to replace it with a new, and healthier habit. For me, journaling and organizing my planner really helped. I also spent more time trying new things like learning how to crochet and songwriting. It’s best to do activities where you’re using your hands, that way you’ll be so distracted that biting your nails becomes an afterthought.
Write Down Every Time you Bite your Nails
Nail biting had become so normal to me that I didn’t even notice I was doing it most of the time. I never really realized how bad my problem was until I was able to actually count the number of times my nails were being chewed off. I kept a page in my journal with tally marks that kept track of each time I bit my nails. When I thought about bringing my finger to my mouth, I’d just take a look at those tally marks and rethink my decision.
Don’t Give Up and be Patient!
One of my biggest downfalls was being really hard on myself every time I bit a nail. It was really discouraging and unhealthy. Instead of getting mad, I reminded myself that breaking habits take time, and that nothing was going to change overnight. If you really want to stop biting your nails, patience is the main ingredient! 🙂
