I can’t say how long I’ve dealt with my anxiety. It’s a constant struggle of learning how to manage life while constantly worrying about circumstances outside of your control. I have a lot of little things I found I do without even realizing due to my anxiety that are starting to take a small toll on me.
The most obvious habit is chewing on my fingernails and the skin around my knuckles. I don’t like chewing on my hands but I don’t always realize I’m doing it until my nails are much shorter or my knuckle starts bleeding. It makes my skin rough and it keeps getting caught on fabrics like when I put on a fuzzy jacket or sweater. I don’t like the dry, rough skin or the short nails and hangnails. I found that chewing gum helps me keep my hands out of my mouth since it gives my jaw something else to focus on.
I also clench my jaw and chew on the inner lining of my cheeks and lips. The ridges lining my mouth make biting my cheeks while eating a lot easier. The more ridges I have, the more I fiddle with it! Clenching my jaw just hurts in general. It makes it more difficult to open my mouth or chew harder foods. I did find that chewing gum also helps a bit with these issues; however, I also tend to clench my jaw in my sleep! And gum cannot help me there! Every time I go to the dentist, my jaw clicks while they look at my teeth!
Leave a comment