Free Essay On Changing Habits

Nail biting- or onychophagy, is a compulsive oral habit that stems from various reasons including stress, grief, boredom, hunger, nervousness among other related causes. In my case however, it is hard to tell when this acquired and ingrained habit came about. I have suffered some losses of loved ones, experienced some challenging times and have even been anxious more often than not. However, none of these incidences can solely take credit for the onset of this habit in my life. However, over the years, I have maintained this habit by taking pleasure in biting those protruding cuticles from my fingers, a practice that has ensured that the cuticles are always popping out hence the constant biting. Even though I don’t like the habit per-se, mostly because of the ugly appearance of my nails compared to those of my friends, the habit persists hitherto. Mostly, the positive thoughts I have harbored concerning this habit is that it makes me relax and sort of soothes me when in I am particularly nervous.
This habit is quite frequent in my life, although depending on my work schedule or personal engagements, the nail biting may either reduce or increase. When I have a lot to worry about for instance, I seldom bite my nails. On the contrary, when I start thinking a lot during these numerous engagements, then the biting kicks in and hence becomes reinforced. Not only do I bite nails in work setups or in school, moments of boredom while at home or even while hanging out with my friends often leads to nail biting. Biting in this sense involves me biting off any protruding cuticle or a perceived excess nail length hanging above its desired length.
I have previously tried to cease from this habit to no avail. My efforts have included tying a rubber band round my wrist and snapping it whenever I bite my nails. This, I consider as a negative reinforcement tactic. I have also tried applying nail polish to deter me from biting to no avail.
The old way of achieving any goal- buddying up, will go a long way in quitting this habit. By identifying my fellow strugglers in this habit, we can embark on an accountability plan of quitting. Additionally, there are numerous no-bite products in the market that can be applied to curb this problem. A conventional approach will also involve getting regular manicures. Hopefully, when my nails look well-trimmed, I may deter from biting them off. Whereas the shaping concept is, and has been instrumental in instilling positive and desired behavior over the years, applying it in my case may prove difficult. This is due to the fact that positive reinforcement such as rewarding myself for efforts made towards quitting nail biting may not be particularly gratifying.