Nail biting is an undesirable habit that is often difficult to break. Since nail biting is a subconscious response, any change must occur beginning at the unconscious level. Unfortunately, changing your behavior is not always an easy thing to do, especially when the habit is induced by anxiety and stress. There are a variety of treatments, including hypnosis, available to control nail biting. Hypnosis might be just the thing to help you finally break the nail biting habit. Certain steps are required to master the technique.
Instructions
1. Hypnotize yourself once each day, or possibly twice a day in the beginning. Self-hypnosis may be the most practical option since it does need to happen at least daily. The repetition helps you embed an idea related to not biting your fingernails in your conscious mind.
2. Develop a hypnosis routine and follow the same steps each time. Find a quiet area in your home where you will not be distracted by background noise and activity. You can purchase recorded hypnosis tapes if you feel more comfortable following an established hypnosis routine (see Resources below). There are tapes that are specifically created to help people to stop biting their nails.
3. Sit or lie down. Relax your entire body until you feel calm and completely at ease, then focus your attention on an object slightly above eye level. Take three deep breaths, inhaling slowly as you count backward from three to one. Close your eyes as you relax into a self-hypnotic trance.
4. Concentrate on planting the suggestion in your mind that you do not need or want to bite your nails. Keep the suggestion simple, positive and in the present tense as you recite it to yourself slowly over and over again. Once you are in a deep hypnotic state, repeat the suggestion several times in your subconscious mind, at the same time imagining yourself being successful at the task.
5. Wake yourself up after two or three minutes by counting forward from one to three. Awaken feeling refreshed and alert. While it may take several weeks to several months before you see the results, the routine itself will help you to feel more relaxed, thus enhancing your overall sense of well-being.
