stop biting my lips

$#. I’ve been biting like a motherx%x$#&^!. I’ve been so damn stressed. Finally I’ve managed to cut down to a six day work week, but I’m still tired with only one day to catch up on my sleep, and work has gone into overdrive with tax season. So I’ve been letting myself do it. I don’t care, it’s a way to torture myself to cope with being angry about how much I hate my $&@($% job. The more unhappy I am, the more I bite.
$*x%x. I can’t chew gum again. I’m not even going bother with lipstick because I hate it and think it’s stupid. I feel like if I don’t bite, I’m going to just EXPLODE in anger at work. It’s already all I can do to not walk out. And what am I going to do? I’m not able to express that anger at work. So I hate myself for being there and I direct that anger inward.

I hate that damn job.

I’ve read of the difficulty in giving up heroin, cigarettes, and various other addictive things. How does giving up biting compare? It beats me, but it’s MFing hard.
After making the goal to go one week without biting, the frequency of the biting seemed unreal. Two minutes would pass and once more I’d catch myself mindlessly flicking my tongue along my lower lip in preparation for peeling. I’d remind myself that I wasn’t doing that anymore, and remind myself again when I started up next. I WANT to bite. I want the satisfaction of rolling my lip between my teeth and feeling the pressure of my bite. I want to snip away the winter dryness and feel my lips all smooth after a grooming session. I want that time – those few minutes where I just have at it and then let it go for the rest of the day. So really, the unconscious biting hasn’t been a problem really at all, I catch myself and know I’m not supposed to be doing it; but rather, it’s the conscious biting that I’m struggling with and when I stop myself I want to keep going. Is it boredom or nerves acting when I am consciously craving a bite? Or is it habit, knowing what works to make me feel good and not having a healthier alternative?
I don’t know. I just want to “right” to “left” my lip like a cob of corn.
I’m dropping the idea of going for a week. I’ve decided that I am against any sub-goals related to time for this main goal of quitting. I can make it a day. I can make it two days. It’s not about taking a break, it’s about never doing it again.

P.S. Lipstick is disgusting and also happens to taste gross too. I think I have to switch to gloss. The Carmex doesn’t deter me one bit.

Stop the Self Injury. It’s the equivalent of a lovely bird pulling out feathers.
First, recognize that it is happening.
Second, identify what feeling (boredom, unhappiness, anxiety) is triggering the behavior and the reason behind the feeling.
Third, establish healthy alternatives. Don’t allow boredom to happen (circumventing the behavior). Maybe start wearing lipstick as a reminder to not bite.

Starting the goal for one full week without biting.