By now, we all know that the global pandemic Covid19 can spread rapidly from person to person contact or by touching surfaces that may have droplets of the virus on them. We are constantly being told to wash our hands, not touch our faces and clean all surfaces regularly. Who knew that such a small thing as not touching your face would be so difficult. And it has taken a global pandemic to show us. Research suggests that any given individual touches their face at an average of 23 times (most often subconsciously) an hour.
So how then, do we bring ourselves to not do it? It’s no easy task to break a habit that we’re so used to doing but it is the only way you can protect yourself against the virus. And so, we rounded up some tips you could put in place to help you refrain from touching your face.
1. Raise self awareness
First and foremost, you should raise your own awareness to the act of touching your face. If it helps, post notes around the house which say, “Don’t touch your face.” You could even make it the background of your phone. Once you constantly start seeing these reminders around the house, you will be self aware. This is step one in tackling the issue.
2. Start changing behaviours
Once your awareness has been raised then you can start implementing it by changing your behaviour. Do you rest your face in your palms? Do you bite your nails or put your fingers on your forehead when you’re thinking hard? When you start realising that you do these things, then you can start to replace these behaviours by doing other activities. Fidget with a pen instead or with a hair tie around your wrist, lace your fingers and rest them in your lap or take up a hobby like knitting. This will help you break the habit, but be sure to always wash your hands after.
3. Create barriers
This is a great step which can stop you from touching your face. Make barriers which make it less convenient to touch your face. Wearing glasses for example will stop you from rubbing your eyes, getting a manicure or doing your nails will prevent you from biting your nails or even wearing make-up will make you more conscious of not smudging it. If your skin is dry and you tend to scratch it, then keep it moisturised and hydrated. The regular use of eye drops can also prevent you from rubbing your eyes. With that being said, of course there will be times when you will have to touch your face, like to clean your nose or to itch it. But if you must do so, then use a clean tissue and immediately discard it and wash your hands.
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