Help, I Can't Stop Touching My Face

Yes, we are all seeing this everywhere, with the Coronavirus, DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE! To some, it is common sense. Others, although they think they are practicing the "do not touch," this touching action is either habitual or subconscious and they do not realize they are doing it. So for these people, how the heck can they stop touching their face?

Now before I get into that, I am going to address this action of touching your face, which primarily is referring to your mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, and nose).  These membranes are vulnerable as they are wet and porous, allowing dangerous germs to enter the body quickly. But since I am not a medical professional, please refer to the CDC for more advice.

Awareness
Try to be mindful of when you are touching your face and stop.  Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, as some do not realize they are doing this, and for others, it can be downright bothersome. Think about it, if someone tells you a story about a pink car they saw that was so ridiculous, and for the rest of the day everywhere you go you see pink.

The same goes with this awareness of not touching your face, as now you seem to have an itch, a bug flies up your nose, you get something in your eye. Or worse, now that you can't do something, you get the urge to do it! But whatever you do, DO NOT ignore the urge, instead imply another competing behavior, which we discuss later in this post. 

 
Triggers That Cause Us To Touch Our Faces
A friend of mine touches his face all the time, and it would drive me nuts, and this is before the Coronavirus outbreak. He would rub his hands very quickly up and down his face (exactly as in the picture). I would say something to him, he would look at me like, what are you talking about as he was not even aware he was doing it.

Some other triggers to be aware of.

• You get a hair in your face and wipe it away from your eyes
• You are a nail bitter
• You pick your nose
• Play with your hair (I am guilty of this)
• Twirl your mustache
• Relational
• Nervous Tic
• Stressed
• You wear glasses
• Face picker

Top 3 Ways To Break Those Bad Habits Of Touching Your Face
Like any bad habit, a form of redirecting those efforts can help, see some of our suggestions.

The Rubber Band Technique
This technique is when you wrap a rubber band around your wrist, and next time you catch yourself rubbing your face, biting your nails, etc. lift the rubber band and make it snap against your wrist.

Reminders
Now that a lot of us are working from home, adding a sticky note to your computer NOT to TOUCH your face can be helpful, maybe even an alarm on your phone, also a google calendar reminder.

Reinforcement
If you are quarantining yourself in your home with others, ask one of them to point out when you are touching your face. And of course, offer the same for them.

Preventive Measures
While the above are some ways to help you alleviate yourself from touching your face. Do not forget about those other preventive measures that can reduce your risks of getting sick. Like washing your hands properly, washing hands before and after going to the bathroom, eating, cooking, touching shared surfaces and objects in your home, even something as simple as a bottle of wine. And of course, use sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol.
 
The bottom line is for us to be VERY aware, and when we are aware, we can make changes, reprogram, and improve our actions.

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