What worked for me -- and I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it may work for you as well:
I used to bite my nails.
I decided to stop for one whole day. I made a conscious effort not to do so for the whole day. The next day I allowed myself to bite my nails.
Then i stopped for two days. Then I allowed myself to bite my nails for one day.
Then I stopped for fie days, and on the sixth I used a nail file to smooth the edges of my nails. I decided not to bite my nails for two days after that.
That was a whole week.
I told myself: If I can go a week, I can go two.
After two, I told myself I can go three without biting my nails.
After three weeks of not biting my nails, I allowed myself a day to do it again, and it hurt. My teeth hurt from it, my fingers and nails hurt from it, and I stopped on the first nail.
I marked a calendar that day and a future date: Not allowed for a month. At the end of the month, I no longer wanted to bite my nails.
I had to learn how to properly use nail clippers, since I had been biting my nails for so long. But I never wanted to bite them again.
Some say it takes 21 days of concerted effort to establish or break a habit.
Combine this with affirmations of determination. Don't replace nail biting with another habit; it will create a new dependency.
Learn to redirect your thoughts. When it's an embedded habit, it is almost a compulsion to do so. At first it takes direct thought not to bite them. After a bit, you can redirect your thoughts; you realize you're about to bite a nail, and you stop yourself, and repeat your affirmation, tell yourself to stop, or something. I don't remember what I had to tell myself.
I used to bite my nails too. It was a nervous thing for me. I have a few tricks for breaking this habbit.
The most simple thing to do is to find this special nail polish that tastes horrible. It's supposed to help nail biting. But if you're looking for the self perseverance route, it takes three weeks to break a habit. You should develop a mantra, something thats meaningful to you. Set daily and weekly rewards for yourself. If you go without biting your nails for the whole day, celebrate. Positive reinforcement works a hundred times better than being negative. Also, if you do slip up, that's okay. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just keep pushing through. A few slip ups doesn't mean you've failed.
I hope this helps. Good luck with everything.
I spell isn't necessary. If you have the urge to bite your nails, grab a stick of gum. You'll chew on the gum instead of your nails. And after a while, you won't want to bite your nails anymore. I hope this helps.
