How do you kick a bad habit of cracking fingers, nail biting, or skin chewing (Please, anything will help)?

Ok, my nails are SUPER short and messed up from nail biting, skin is frayed from biting it off (odd habit, dont ask), and cracking my fingers....theyre stiff as a board, please help, i don't know how to kick these habits and they're getting worse and worse, i want to cup my hands all the time so people can't see them. Please help. =)How do you kick a bad habit of cracking fingers, nail biting, or skin chewing (Please, anything will help)?
Hi Vette,





I love Cindy's suggestion of rewarding yourself for not biting and chewing etc. Problem is that these are outward responses to internal stimuli. If you focus on quitting the habit, another one will form in response to the stimuli, maybe a worse one like a shoulder tick or a neck twitch or an eye flinch. Then you will have beautiful nails and skin but will look like a shock therapy experiment. The answer is to monitor when you do these things and what is going on mentally at the time. Reason through the stimuli and the habit will stop on it's own. You may want to try something like a peppermint oil on your hands as this will get your attention(yet not be offensive) and help you to be aware of when you are biting and chewing. Good luck!How do you kick a bad habit of cracking fingers, nail biting, or skin chewing (Please, anything will help)?
Nail biting - Thumb Stop which is available at the drug store or cayanne pepper. Put it on your nails to remind you not to bite.





Cracking your fingers - this will only get worse if you continue. I suggest you talk to your doctor.





Skin chewing - see nail biting.





Reward yourself for each day you stay away from the habit.