Nails
--This is a personal post. I'll be writing professional some other day--
A while ago I wanted to control my habits of biting nails because of unnecessary melanin deposits I formed around the skin surrounding my hand nails. It was also because I've been growing really conscious around my body that I had been neglecting for years.
And one random day, I stopped eating nails and never looked back...
This was about two months ago when I posted one of my pics with petting a cat in a group chat. Only my hand was visible. Someone pointed out the melanin deposits and sent disgusted texts at being repulsed by people who eat nails. It definitely affected me subconsciously even though I told them it was a friend of mine.
The problem of eating nails is a very old one problem for as long as I can remember, I've been biting and (sometimes) eating nails since forever. On a random Monday I told myself 'No more biting nails'. It was difficult at first, I had to stay very conscious about the activities that prompted my fingers to go near my mouth and had to stop them every once in 5 minutes. The habit randomly stopped on another Monday before I was even aware that I stopped doing something that I had been doing since forever.
Another account for when I used to smoke a lot. There was a time when I finished about a pack every day. One random day I decided it all has to stop. I reduced them to half a packet a day, then once a day, once in 2 days, once in 4 days and then once in 4 weeks. Then I went a month without smoking with ease. This was easier than I had thought it would be. I do smoke, but it has been reduced to zilch and even if I stop doing it, my mental health would be intact.
Turns out your habits are actually easier to control in reality than they have told you. No matter what bad habit has been bothering you. You can just wake up one day and decide NOT to do it. It is always difficult in the beginning, as the prophets have foretold. But it will ease with time and you will look back with fond memories of how you overcame yourself, atleast so have the prophets foretold.
Thus Spake Buddha.