We all have at least one compulsive habit we would like to break, whether it's drumming on your desk, fidgeting, twirling your hair, or biting your nails. These bad habits are often thought to be associated with stress, anxiety or boredom. But a recent study from the University of Montreal found that biting your nails is actually not related to stress, but perfectionism.
The experiment took 48 participants, half of whom were veteran nail biters, and put them in various environments meant to provoke certain emotions. Some situations were meant to cause stress and frustration, whereas other situations were calm, trivial routines. The researchers found that the nail biters were more likely to repeat that compulsive habit during trivial tasks rather than stressful situations.
Dr. Kieron O'Connor, the lead author, explained the results, saying, "We believe that individuals with these repetitive behaviors may be perfectionistic, meaning that they are unable to relax and perform tasks at a 'normal' pace." Nail biters often feel frustrated, dissatisfied and impatient when they aren't reaching their goals so they engage in repetitive behavior as a way to relax.
So if you are a serial nail biter, don't worry if you occasionally pick at your nails, it just means you have high standards. If you really want to break your bad habit, focus on finding healthy ways to control and modify your perfectionist standards.