Ways to Nail Down Nervous Habits for a Happier Life

 

Ways to Nail Down Nervous Habits for a Happier Life

Nervous habits are pretty common. Many of us have something that we do when we’re feeling nervous or anxious, and it can be pretty hard to stop them. We do them because they help us release nervous energy or feel a bit better when everything is overwhelming. But nervous habits can sometimes be annoying to other people, and some of them affect your health too. If you want to ditch yours, there are various techniques you can use to get rid of a nervous habit or at least redirect your energy into something a bit healthier. Try these techniques to tackle your nervous habit once and for all.

• Give Your Hands Something to Do

A lot of people do something with their hands when they feel nervous. They might stick their fingers in their mouth, tap things, pick their cuticles, or do any number of other things. These habits can be annoying and could be bad for you too. If you want to change them, you can consider giving your hands something to do that won’t annoy others or cause you any damage. If you get a desk toy you can fiddle with, it might still mean you’re fidgeting, but it’s better than clicking a pen or chewing your nails.

• Give Your Mouth Something to Do

Another thing a lot of people do is put things in their mouth or bite things. Some people chew their nails or bite their lips, while others grind their teeth, smoke, or chew on pens and pencils. The urge to put something in your mouth or bite down on something can be hard to resist, but you can try a healthier habit that’s kinder to your teeth and skin. Some people choose to suck on sugar-free sweets, while others chew gum. However, you do need to be careful with chewing gum, as it can become another annoying habit that’s tough to break.

• Swap Cigarettes for E-cigarettes

For some people, smoking becomes a nervous habit. Even if they have stopped smoking, they find it hard to resist when they get anxious or agitated. If you find that you have this problem, you might have success with Vivid e-cigarettes and similar products. When you find yourself reaching for a smoke, it could be because you want something to do with your hands and mouth when you’re nervous. You’re used to the comforting feeling of holding a cigarette. So why not try and replace it with a healthier alternative?

• Let Go of Stress

Stress can be a key cause of your nervous habits. If you find that you get stressed a lot, learning to deal with it in a healthier way will help you. For example, some people grind their teeth when they’re stressed. You can even do it in your sleep without realising. There are lots of techniques for dealing with stress so that you find difficult situations easier to handle. Some people choose to meditate or to have therapy sessions, others like to exercise or do something fun to let go of their stress. Dealing with stress in the moment can be hard, but you can pick up techniques to stay calm under pressure.

• Take More Notice

If you have a nervous habit, it’s not always easy to realise when you do it. It’s not always when you feel nervous or anxious, and you might find yourself doing it when you’re bored or distracted. It can be hard to stop when you often don’t notice yourself doing something until you have already been doing it for several minutes. So paying more attention to when you’re engaging in your nervous habit will help you identify when you need to try tactics to avoid it. If you find it hard to stop yourself, try asking someone else to point out when you’re doing it, or even put a reminder to yourself somewhere you will see it.

• Changing Connecting Habits

If your nervous habit is connected to another behaviour, you might be able to stop it. There are some things you can’t avoid, like doing your work. But some behaviours aren’t essential and avoiding them could help you stop your nervous habit. For example, if you tend to smoke when you have a cup of coffee, you can choose not to have the coffee and avoid the cigarette too. You can try to avoid certain behaviours or even places that trigger your habit as much as possible.

Letting go of a habit you have had for a long time isn’t easy. If you want to change your ways, though, you can do it with a bit of work.

Guest Article.