How To Quit Your Nervous Habits!

Nail biter or teeth grinder? There are ways of keeping our anxious habits in check

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For my 10th wedding anniversary, my husband bought me a ring. It’s a small but beautiful diamond, but I’m terrified to show it off because when people admire it, they might notice my nails, bitten to stumps. And, even worse, my often bloodied cuticles, evidence of a lost battle with dermatophagia (eating the skin around the fingernails).

It’s a disgusting habit and one I’m not proud of it, but I’ve bitten my nails and cuticles since I was a child. I’ve tried everything to stop, from acrylic nails to wearing special gloves. Nothing has worked. And even though I know it’s unsanitary and can spread germs, I nibble my fingers when I’m stressed, anxious or bored. I tear at the ends of my hands when I’m on the phone, watching TV or suffering from writer’s block. And I’m not alone: studies show around one-quarter of children bite their nails habitually, while a study from the University of Calgary revealed that up to 50 per cent of us will gnaw our nails at some point in our lives.

Learned Associations

Many of us have nervous habits we wish we could stop: teeth grinding, skin picking, leg jiggling or, in my case, nail biting. Experts say that although these habits often start in childhood, they can continue throughout life.