An exam, a family reunion, an appointment, waiting for a doctor . . . all these situations have something in common. For all, anxiety, worry or shyness can overwhelm us, these emotions or thoughts can be expressed in words, with the body or through gestures, hands are an important part of communication, with which we embrace, caress and express. With them we also express our anxiety, our boredom, our desire to end an encounter, even our bad manners.
In expression through the hands, nails can be a reflection of our emotions or thoughts, for many people biting their nails is a tool to channel sensations, even unconsciously, this is known as onychophagy. The word comes from the Greek words onyx (? Unha?) And phagein (?Eat?) (Cano, Peniche and Arellano, 2001).
- In general.
- Onychophagy is considered a compulsion.
- I.
- E.
- It is done to manage feelings of anxiety.
- Intrusive thoughts and feelings of anxiety.
- Has important consequences for our oral health.
- Social image and self-esteem in the most severe cases.
- Difficulties in reversing this habit.
- Not everything is lost.
- If it’s not a clinical case.
- It only takes a little willpower.
- Awareness and motivation.
The tendency to bite your nails, or onychophagy, remains a mystery even in the world of psychology, medicine or psychiatry. In 2015, an article was published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry that stated that onychophagy was not a sign of nervousness or anxiety like most of us think, but a sign of perfectionism. This activity could help these people manage their dissatisfaction or irritation.
We also find studies showing that a third of those with onychophagy live in a family environment where another member of the group also has this habit, these cases refer to the imitation of children in families where a parent or brother usually bite Other studies simplify the equation and relate onychophagy to pleasure. The action of biting your nails would create pleasurable sensations.
It is said that it is about having the will to stop doing something or achieve a goal. “If you don’t, it’s because you don’t really want it. “However, this issue is loaded with For many missing reasons, it is true that this gives us a simplistic view of reality, but nevertheless it is true that will and motivation (whatever) are the engine and strength to start, without them we could not even get but be careful because many times wanting is not power.
“If you start by promising what you don’t already have, you’ll lose the urge to do it” – Paulo Coelho-
The will does not move the mountains, but it is very important to start, no matter if we fail, we make mistakes or if we spend an entire holiday without biting our nails, and when we return to work, we return to our habits All ends are new beginnings. If one formula doesn’t work, try another formula; if you don’t want to change what, change how.
Where was the mistake?Remember the feeling of success and start over. As you make the decision, write a positive message for you, something that makes sense, and place it in a visible place. It will help you when temptations arise.
Nothing is more important to correct mistakes than to be aware of them. At work, in relationships, in communication and in any activity in which we want to improve, fighting onychophagy is a marathon. A good way to get started is to make records and write down the moments when you bite your nails. What are you doing?
Enrollment is a way to become aware of the activities or people around this behavior. The times, the places, driving at the traffic lights at the end of the day?every moment is important because it will give you an idea of the stimuli most associated with biting your nails.
“To achieve what needs to be done, and not to do it, is cowardice. “Confucius.
Small steps lead us to great achievements. The great enemy of motivation are the impossible goals. Maybe you have an event or a job interview, and for that, you decide not to bite your nails. It’s paradoxical because at the time of the greatest anguish, you put your gun aside to fight it. At some point, you’ll probably forget the goal, bite your nails and feel a sense of failure and incapacity.
This puts a lot of pressure on eliminating a habit like onychophagy, which may be in us for years, surely there are people who managed to eliminate it at first, there is always the person who talks about his last cigarette, but what about those who?Don’t you work like that?
Trying not to be too much yourself is a good idea when temptation has prevailed. Try it with one or two fingers and set a weekend or vacation goal, the sum of the simple and easier goals will allow us to achieve great goals. , and just as we have to record the behavior we want to change, it’s also worth recording the achievements we achieve.
“Goals are only achieved if we measure progress. ” Guy Kawasaki-
Avoiding temptation is the next step after learning about the situations, people, or times of the day the onychophagy appears. However, we cannot escape or avoid constantly. One of the strategies is to use our minds. To anticipate the situation and how to get out of it without biting your nails is to visualize a moment of success that you can start strongly. Look for alternative ideas to travel on and positive messages to build on. Another resource is to train the body in breathing and relaxation to combat situations that cause nervousness.
“Those who avoid temptation avoid sin” – Ignatius of Loyola-
Just as you can train your body and mind, you can also learn how to tame behaviors. A series of practical exercises involves taking your hand to the mouth and leaving it at 5 centimeters, holding the feeling or biting a finger and holding on for 20 seconds. . If you do it consciously and in a workout, you will gradually get used to it and it will be easier to identify the sensations that precede the act you want to avoid: biting your nails.
Anyone who has struggled with a bad habit (more or less harmless) knows how difficult it is. Often, there is some misunderstanding from people who are trying to break this habit, and may even receive comments allusive to their mindset. Weakness.
Sometimes visualization, willpower or mentalization are not enough, so finding alternatives can be a solution. Let us not forget that for each person there is a better option, the important thing to remember is that we can act on two axes: the mouth and the hands.
Faced with the need to have something in your mouth to soothe nerves, anxiety or boredom, you can resort to chewing gum, ginger, liquorice lollipop, etc. Having something in your mouth eliminates this need to occupy that space. can act are the fingers.
Washing your hands, wearing gloves, nail polish, putting on adhesive, can help prevent action. At least this can serve as a direct reminder of the goal. In addition, you may have other objects to touch and distract, such as a key. ring, pen, ball, etc. , something you can play with and have fun with.
It’s a temptation. There is a time when nails start to grow and it makes sense that the feeling is strange, we inadvertently touch our fingers, look at them and caress our nails, another custom is to pass the tip of our fingers or brush our nails with flights. these actions will be critical. Once we have formed attention to become aware of what we are doing, it will be difficult to avoid falling into temptation.
When there is a small irregularity in the nail, a simple trick is to use a small adhesive on top, with this we will avoid resorting to the teeth to overcome what we do not tolerate, the tips of the nails. we find ourselves doing this kind of activity, “collection” hands. That is, close your fists, grab someone and start a conversation, or even put your hands in your pockets or under your thighs if you’re sitting.
At this point, it should be noted how difficult it is to recognize the merits of ourselves, many times, due to the education we receive or the fear of transmitting an image different from the one we want to project, we do not value small achievements. This confrontation makes it difficult to build self-image. If we achieve a goal, we must reward ourselves: with this we will not be less humble and we will not find ourselves more than anyone else.
Even if for the people around us they are minor actions, if we set ourselves a goal and achieve it, it will be positive to improve the self-satisfaction emanating from achievement. You can define small rewards if you can, for example, go a week without biting your nails, in addition, seeking complicity with the environment can help us in the process, if you understand and show empathy will be a fundamental support.
On the other hand, if the problem is a health case to the point of causing bleeding, finger deformities, or is it associated with an obsessive-compulsive disorder?Compulsive, depressive or anxious? It will be essential to consult a doctor for the advice, control and follow-up of the habit and all the consequences that it entails.