Break The Nail Biting Habit Once And For All With These Steps

Nail biting is a habit that is very difficult to break but it can be done.  This is a habit that is not healthy for you and can actually make you sick.  When you are biting on your nails, you are literally putting germs into your mouth over and over.  Nails and the crease in between them are a hotbed for germs, especially if you haven’t washed your hands recently.  Nail biting is also hard on your teeth.  Nails were not meant to be chewed on.

So, how do you go about breaking the nail biting habit?  Different strategies work for different people.  There isn’t one strategy that works for everyone but there are several strategies that are especially helpful.  Some people break themselves from the habit by painting their nails with a special polish that tastes badly so it discourages nail biting.  Others find success by keeping their mouth busy with other aids that are much healthier such as mints or chewing gum.

Distraction is a good tool as well.  Taking up a hobby like cross stitching or crocheting is something that you can use to distract yourself from biting your nails that also gives you something to do with your hands rather than put them in your mouth.  If you don’t feel you have time to take up a hobby, something as simple as wearing bracelets can help by providing you something to play with rather than automatically moving your hands into your mouth.

Always try to reward yourself for progress along the way.  One of the best ways to do this is to treat yourself to a manicure or some new nail polish to do your nails yourself.  When you see how pretty your nails can be, that helps keep you motivated to stay strong on not biting your nails any longer.

Image Credit: All Womens Talk