If we just met and shook hands, you probably wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. However, if you knew me anywhere from the ages of 13-22, you may immediately recognize a difference: I actually have fingernails!
For
a substantial amount of years, my “nails” were teeny, tiny, sad nubs of
weak keratin. I had no whites on the tips whatsoever and had bitten
down so far that most people assumed it was painful.
It’s soo cringe-worthy to look back on now; I can’t believe this used to be my hand. The following photo is from our ENGAGEMENT photoshoot, for which I vividly remember trying to grow out my nails.
Friends, family, AND strangers would randomly stop and say to me, “You should stop biting your nails”, but I just couldn’t. Not to mention, once they did start to grow a bit, my nails would immediately break or tear, prompting me to bite the rest to nubs all over again.
Perhaps you can relate. If you are tired of your tiny nubs, tried every trick in the book, and searched the limits of Google for “how to stop biting your nails”, then this post is for you.
With the methods below, I was able to quit my decade-long nail-biting habit AND grow my nails to a point where they are long, strong, and healthy.
Yes, you’ve probably tried – and failed – before. I was there, I know. I thought I had tried everything, but I just wasn’t taking the right steps – for me.
However, it simply took some introspective reflection, realizing what I was doing WRONG, a solid plan of action, and there I was: a nail-growin’ machine!
You CAN stop biting your nails.
Follow along with my four-step solution to stop biting your nails and grow them out – FOR GOOD.
1. TO STOP BITING YOUR NAILS, DISCOVER THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
The first (and arguably most important) step to stop biting your nails is to discover your trigger(s). Personally, I had to combat multiple triggers to finally nix my nail habit once and for all.
Once you identify the drive behind your actions, then you can successfully move forward and take steps to resist it (in this case, why you bite your nails can lead to how to stop doing so). For example:
DOES BOREDOM CAUSE YOU TO BITE YOUR NAILS?
Maybe it happens while you’re on the couch, watching the “Bachelorette” (that finale! the tears! oh my!) Or, while you’re sitting in that evening rush-hour traffic, not moving an inch – ugh! Perhaps you find yourself biting during that boring work meeting that’s taking fo-o-o-rever to end.
If you have found yourself biting your nails in similar situations, your trigger is likely boredom! In other words, you bite your nails simply because you need to do something – anything!
Usually, this means you can stop biting your nails by finding something else to do with your hands! See “Find Suitable Alternatives – Boredom” below, or keep reading for other possible triggers!
DO YOU BITE YOUR NAILS IN SITUATIONS THAT MAKE YOU NERVOUS?
If you find yourself chewing off your nails while you’re taking a test, before giving a public speech, or after a tough conversation, you might bite your nails as a coping mechanism for nervousness!
In this case, the remedy is finding another channel to relieve your anxiety. I know this is easier said than done, and mental health is not something of which I have extensive knowledge. Always consult a physician with any questions or concerns.
However, if it is within your control, make it a practice to engage in calming actions that don’t include the chomping down on your fingernail. We will discuss some quick and easy ways to do so in the following section, “Find Suitable Alternatives – Nervousness”.
DO YOU BITE YOUR NAILS TO COPE WITH DAILY STRESS?
For most people, the day to day routine brings certain stresses and worries. Try to think of when you begin to bite your nails: do these instances coincide with periods of time in your life when you have more stress than usual?
If you have reason to believe you feel more stressed-out than the average person, and that causes you to bite your nails, making small life changes to cope with stress can halt your nail-biting habit. Plus, who doesn’t want less stress?!
We will discuss some stress-relieving options in the section below, “Find Suitable Alternatives – Stress”.
DO YOU BITE YOUR NAILS TO “MANICURE” THEM?
I had to battle against multiple triggers in order to stop biting my nails, but once I quit, it seemed as if my nails still wouldn’t grow! They were constantly breaking and tearing, so much so that I would resort to biting the rest just to make them all the same size!
If you desperately need some strength in your nails like I did (and still do!), keep reading in the section titled “Growing & Strengthening Tips”.
2. TO STOP BITING YOUR NAILS, FIND SUITABLE ALTERNATIVES…
As soon as you get the urge to bite your nails, try focusing your efforts onto some of the suggestions below. Keep in mind that psychologists estimate it can take a minimum of 21 days to make (or break) a habit.
FOR BOREDOM:
If biting your nails is an outlet for your body to fidget or “do something” constantly, simply make a shift to do “something” else. The following are some great suggestions to keep your hands busy.
Coloring in a coloring book, note-taking, or mindless doodling.
“Playing” with a magnetic fidget puzzle cube like this one; yes, an “adult” version of the super annoying trendy fidget spinner.
Braid some strings together, or make bracelets! I found this helpful to distract my hands, but also quite cathartic and relaxing while watching TV. Plus, at the end of it, you have a bracelet! Yay!
Silly Putty. Yup, remember that pointless, moldable plastic that you just begged your parents to purchase in the checkout line at Wal-Mart? Well, now it has a purpose! (And, it comes in a handy little egg container, so you can take this on-the-go, wherever you need to distract your hands!)
Start a drum-band, with your hands! Though this can become distracting to people around you, it’s a great way to occupy your hands while remaining focused on other things (like driving); turn on your favorite tunes, and try to tap to the beat of each song! It’s like a slightly less-fun version of Rock Band.
