stop picking at my nails

The last few days have been very tense and difficult. Basically, I have been consciously aware of how much I mess with my nails and really working to not do that (with the aforementioned rubber band acting as a reminder of sorts). But there have been small lapses and internal swearing.

The result of my habit is that I feel a slight sensation of burning even in my fingertips as the urge to pick at them nervously (and subconsciously) is averted. I hope it will subside over the next few days, but it’s a difficult hump to get over in the short term.

I wear a rubber band on my left wrist. Whenever I feel the urge to mess with my nails (or do it unconsciously), I give myself a painful snap with the rubber band. If all goes well, it might make me more conscious of the problem and more averse to doing it automatically.