Painting My Own Nails
April 23, 2023
Author: Rachel Cohn
Editor: Samantha Rich
One of my worst habits is nail-biting. Whenever I’m anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed by any emotion, my immediate response is to bite my nails. The easiest solution to fix this bad habit was to always have my nails painted with unbreakable acrylics. If they looked pretty enough, maybe I wouldn’t pick at them as much. But constantly going to the nail salon became exhausting and I began to dislike the never-ending cycle of sitting still at the nail salon for an hour, spending lots of money, and then going back again in a few weeks. I resented the idea of relying on an outside source to improve my bad habit, so eventually, I just stopped getting my nails done. But without someone else to make my nails look pristine, I began to obsess over the way they looked, which started a new, more vicious cycle. I would bite my nails whenever I felt anxious, feel guilty for ruining the way they looked, obsess over fixing them, feel anxious again, and the cycle would restart. I needed to break free of these cycles and regain control of my life, so I started painting my own nails.
Now, whenever I notice myself fixating on my nails and the way they look, I will carve out some time in my day to paint them myself with whatever fun color matches the season. Not only does this prevent me from obsessing over my broken and chipped nails, but it has helped me stop biting my nails, as there is always a fresh coat of polish on them. Also, intentionally finding time to paint my nails has become a new form of self-care and helps me relax if I am ever feeling anxious. Being able to choose when I want to paint my nails and getting to decide the color and shape has given me back a sense of control in my life. I also realized that my mental health is in my control, and I have the ability to improve my wellness all on my own.
Feeling powerless and out of control has very negative implications for our mental health. But, feeling powerless is a state of mind and the only way to change this is to change our perception. Yes, going to the nail salon would probably make my nails look better than they do when I sloppily paint them in ten minutes, but I did not enjoy the process of going, so I made the conscious choice to start painting my own nails. If there is something making us unhappy, anxious, or stressed, it is up to us to make sure we do not lose our control or agency along the way. While it is easier said than done, and we cannot just magically make everything better, we can still make sure that we have control and power over our own lives. It can be as simple as choosing to paint our own nails, deciding to stay in one night, or booking a last-minute flight home to spend the weekend with family. We have the ability to make our own choices, no matter what outside biases may be influencing them. Understanding that we are in charge of our own lives can help us to regain the power that may have been missing before.
If you ever do feel out of control in your life, instead of dwelling on what is out of your control, think about what is in your control. We have so much more power over our lives than we think and a change in perception is necessary to unlock this power. You will quickly see that regaining control over one little thing, like your nail-biting habit, has cascading effects and can help you regain control over larger, more daunting parts of life. We often let mental health problems dictate our lives and prevent us from doing what we want, but they are not as scary as they seem. We must alter our perception to understand that while we cannot control everything, we can make small choices to create incremental improvements that will help us regain the control and power we need to fight back against the demons we feel are dominating our lives. So, paint your own nails, go get them done at the nail salon, or leave them unpainted — just make sure that whatever you decide is your own choice and you are not letting anyone or anything else seize control of your agency and power.
Image: never was in 2023 | How to do nails, Manicure, Hair and nails
