Psych in the News: Q4
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MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Protecting Yourself Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Lauren Muñoz
Taking Care of Your Mental Health During Quarantine
Photo by Nik Shuliahin
Identifying Mental Health Concerns
Photo by Anh Nguyen
What You Can Do
Reduce How Much You Touch Your Face
The Science
The Psychology
Tips
Here are some strategies that may help keep your hands off your face, according to Chapman.
1. Shift your thinking
You're more likely to change your habits when you allow your thoughts to be flexible rather than punitive, Chapman says.
So, instead of thinking, "don't touch your face," you should tell yourself, "I'm going to be more aware of touching my face today." You can even set reminders with that message on your phone to go off every few hours.
"If you do that consistently, you're programming your brain to make that thought salient, and therefore you're more conscientious of not doing it," he says.
When you slip up, use it as a reason to wash your hands and start fresh.
2. Distract yourself
The most obvious way to curb your face-touching would be what Chapman calls "distraction techniques," such as holding onto a trinket when you get the urge to touch your face. For example, you might want to keep a "fidget spinner," small toy or stress ball by your desk to play with when you're stressed or just need something to do with your hands.
Other studies on "body-focused" repetitive behaviors (such as hair pulling disorder and skin-picking) suggest that simply clenching your fists or sitting on your hands for a minute can help you resist the urge.
3. Use accessories strategically
Some people who have long hair might feel extra tempted to touch their face to move stray hairs. Chapman suggests securing your hair in a bun to prevent yourself from playing with it.
It also might be useful to wear your glasses to dissuade yourself from touching your eyes.
Similarly, wearing any kind of gloves can keep you from touching your face, he says. But they don't absolve you from having to wash your hands for COVID-19 prevention.
1. Shift your thinking
You're more likely to change your habits when you allow your thoughts to be flexible rather than punitive, Chapman says.
So, instead of thinking, "don't touch your face," you should tell yourself, "I'm going to be more aware of touching my face today." You can even set reminders with that message on your phone to go off every few hours.
"If you do that consistently, you're programming your brain to make that thought salient, and therefore you're more conscientious of not doing it," he says.
When you slip up, use it as a reason to wash your hands and start fresh.
2. Distract yourself
The most obvious way to curb your face-touching would be what Chapman calls "distraction techniques," such as holding onto a trinket when you get the urge to touch your face. For example, you might want to keep a "fidget spinner," small toy or stress ball by your desk to play with when you're stressed or just need something to do with your hands.
Other studies on "body-focused" repetitive behaviors (such as hair pulling disorder and skin-picking) suggest that simply clenching your fists or sitting on your hands for a minute can help you resist the urge.
3. Use accessories strategically
Some people who have long hair might feel extra tempted to touch their face to move stray hairs. Chapman suggests securing your hair in a bun to prevent yourself from playing with it.
It also might be useful to wear your glasses to dissuade yourself from touching your eyes.
Similarly, wearing any kind of gloves can keep you from touching your face, he says. But they don't absolve you from having to wash your hands for COVID-19 prevention.
