Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Life

Nervous Habits: How to Break the Unbreakable

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Utica chapter.

We all have bad habits that we just cannot seem to quit. You have the knuckle cracker, the lip smacker, or my personal demon, the nail biter. All of these annoying habits have one thing in common, no one knows how they started or how to get rid of them. I have been trying to cut my nail biting habit out of my life but it is much harder than I initially predicted. Nevertheless, I did find some tricks that I have found to be helpful. These tips can be specific to the nasty nail biting habit, or to any other bad habit that you cannot get rid of no matter how hard you try. So try them out and see if these are the remedies that you have been looking for!

  1. Put on a clear coat of nail polish to help you stop biting your nails.

  2. Try and chew gum when you get the urge to bite your nails, that way, you can keep your mouth busy.

  3. Try adult coloring books. When we are stressed out, these habits become more prominent. These coloring books are good stress relievers and can help keep your mind off of your habit and on the task at hand.

  4. Whenever you feel the urge to do your habit, find some kind of reward system for being able to withstand it. For example, when you want to crack your knuckles, tell yourself that if you go a whole day without it you can have your favorite ice cream. These short term goals can help you make long term progress.

  5. Sometimes it is not helpful to cut it cold turkey. A gradual removal can help you stay clean longer. Try to reduce your habit little by little everyday until you do not even think about it anymore.

These are just a few tips for helping with getting rid of that stubborn habit. Do not be discouraged if you have a setback. These habits are stubborn and if they were so easy to quit, no one would struggle with them. Exercise can also be a great replacement for these habits. Out with the bad and in with the good. While these habits seem impossible to beat, you can definitely conquer them with a little bit of determination and persistence.

 

Meet Bianca, I am currently a Junior at Utica College in Utica, NY.  I am a Criminal Justice major with a concentration in Homeland Security.  Crime investigation has always been something that interests me.  I’m dedicated and passionate and it’s hard for me to quit things. I get that from my father so don’t hold it against me- he was a veteran and police officer for 20 years.   Growing up in a family centered around law enforcement has helped guide me in this direction, and I will forever be grateful.  After graduation I intend to continue on to law school where I can further my education in hopes of becoming a criminal defense lawyer and later on a District Attorney.  An interesting fact about myself is that I found the passion to be a criminal defense lawyer from watching the O.J. Simpson case.  The facts and conspiracy theories evoked a whole new passion behind criminal investigation that I intend to use in my future.  One of my most prominent moments in my writing career was when I wrote for an online magazine and had my most prevalent article hit 1.6k shares.  I believe in treating people with the same kind of respect and manners you would expect in return, and in a way it has helped shaped my expectations in life.   When you first meet me I won’t be the loudest in the room or the center of attention, but I will be intently listening to everything you say, for what you have to say may have a purpose. I believe in purpose. I believe that everyone is here to help you grow into who you are today and who you will be tomorrow.