Nail Biting

Dear Friends and Family,

I know I'm trying too many things at once. But, I'm curious.

The laundry thing has been working this week. On nights we get home at a reasonable hour, I bring down a load of laundry to do during the evening. Too early to declare success, but progress.

In the mornings, I set the timer for 15 minutes. I organize while I make my coffee. Then, when the timer goes off, I stop and resume my normal morning routine of coffee, news, blog, etc. Too early to declare success, but progress.

Now, I want to see if I can add another "thing" to the loops. Nail biting. This week I want to try and figure out what my cues are. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a single one. I think it's a panacea of sorts for me. I wouldn't be surprised if there are multiple cues.

But, I'm optimistic. I think this isn't an impossible nut to crack. Why? Well, I already have some clues.

• I only bite my nails at work. I don't bite at home. I don't bite during the car ride. If we go on vacation, I inevitably come back with progress on the nail front.
• I don't think I bite during meetings. I'm almost certain it's when I'm at my desk alone. Not 100% certain, but almost certain.
• I know if I get regular manicures, my likelihood of biting goes down. I've had several instances of growing my nails through this process. Polish reduces the likelihood even more.
• I know there's a certain point when my nails get too long and then they all go at once.
• I know it's hardest to recover when they are bad. When they are decent, I somehow don't bite as often. Like it's either a virtuous cycle (of sorts) or a vicious cycle (most of the time).
• I don't bite evenly. My right thumb and left ring finger are the most frequent victims. My pinkies tend to fare well.

If nothing else, it'll give me "intellectual challenge" in March. And, it'll definitely help on the "when things look good" front of the happiness map.

Which reminds me. The laundry? It helps with getting to "completed to do list" which leads to "being relaxed." And, the 15 minutes in the morning? It helps with "clean house" which leads to "when things look good."

Optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse