Nail Biting Can Be A Bad Habit But May Tell These Things About Your Personality

. . Nail Biting is known as a very bad habit which is practiced by stressed people. People like to bite their nails in situations when it’s the time of an exam, money, problems, job, and other related worries. This habit seems to become an addiction for some people and they start biting their nails […]

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Nail Biting is known as a very bad habit which is practiced by stressed people.
People like to bite their nails in situations when it’s the time of an exam, money, problems, job, and other related worries. This habit seems to become an addiction for some people and they start biting their nails even when they are just having rest and watching TV for a couple of hours.

According to these people, biting makes them focus on a problem and find its solution. This can relate to the intelligence of this kind of people and it is quite interesting.
Biting the nails can also bring some side effects like causing contract infections, which is a no serious danger for the body. So whatever becomes excessive, can be harmful to the organism.

But ultimately the social stress that comes from people makes nail-biting seem a really bad habit.

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What does this habit cause to the body?

Studies have found that 20-30% of the population, mainly women, chronically bite their nails. This can cause negative self-esteem issues and nervousness, as biters often are embarrassed to shake hands or display their nails in any way.

Needless to say, the habit is addictive and very difficult to stop. The sensation of biting nails has been shown to have a calming effect on the nervous system, making it a physical outlet for mental anxiety. So in a way, our original impression of nail-biters is correct; they tend to be nervous people who suffer from anxiety or a stressful lifestyle, and the habit calms them down. But this is only part of what drives nail-biters.

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Nail Biting can say so much about your personality

The reason why people tend to practice this habit can relate to different reasons. It can be a learned habit from a parent or sibling, a means of staying alert when bored, something that’s genetically inherited, or even a way of causing self-harm. And the most recent drive to be added?

The need to be perfect.

That’s right, according to a study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, nail-biting may indicate that someone is a perfectionist. It’s thought that biting is a frustrated reaction to an imperfection, i.e. a broken or chipped nail, in this case. However, the deep down frustration can be caused by anything; a fight with a partner, a missed opportunity at work, not accomplishing your weight-loss goals. That’s essentially what it boils down to, a need to accomplish goals and failing to do so.

Perfectionists are people who like to go, go, go, and obviously have a drive to get things done their way. So when things aren’t going as planned (another huge component of perfectionists, over-planning EVERYTHING) or they’re bored, maybe because of an idling project, they tend to get frustrated and look for relief. And that’s where anxious habits that give your nervous system relief come into play – in this case, that’s our nail biting.

The author of the study, Dr. Kieron O’Connor, sums up this behavior perfectly:

“We believe that individuals with these repetitive behaviors may be perfectionistic, meaning that they are unable to relax and to perform tasks at a normal pace,” Dr. O’Connor says in the research. “They are therefore prone to frustration, impatience, and dissatisfaction when they do not reach their goals.”

So nail biters, come to terms with the fact that you might be perfectionists, whether you know it or not. This is a hard habit to kick, but there are ways to stop nail-biting urges in their tracks, which is good for your mental and physical well-being. And until you do get control over the tic, try expressing your frustration in a different way; take up kickboxing, write down all the things you’re annoyed about, or even distract your hands and mind with coloring or a crossword puzzle.

Like anything, it’s a work in progress. If it feels like it’s really getting out of control, never be ashamed to seek therapy or a consultation with a board certified dermatologist.

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If you have any experience with nail-biting or words of wisdom to impart, make sure to share them in the comments section below.

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