Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)
A lot of people have this habit. But it can cause problems. It can make your fingers bleed and lead to bloody fingers and painful stinging.
To break a bad habit, you must first be aware of it.
One effective way to increase self-awareness is by starting with a grounding exercise.
To ground yourself, sit up straight with your feet flat on the ground and your hands resting on your lap. Then, close your eyes and take three deep, slow breaths.
As you breathe, notice how different parts of your body feel, beginning with your toes and moving up to your eyebrows, ears and nose. Continue this process throughout your entire body.
The next time you notice yourself picking your skin, ask yourself: “How can I fix this?”
In the meantime, taking care of your wounds and covering them up can also help break the habit. Using the right bandages, like “advanced healing” ones or small band-aids, will help your skin heal faster and prevent scars.
It is a good idea to put bandages on your index fingers while you read or study. This makes it much harder to pick at your skin. Doctors also say you should keep your nails short to make it harder to pick.
If you pick your skin while you sleep, try wearing cotton gloves at night. This protects your skin so it can get better. If you find it impossible to quit this habit on your own, ask an adult for help.
This question was answered by Katie Leung Pui-yan, a practising child and family therapist and partner at Therapy Partners
