10 Things to do with your hands...
...instead of picking at your skin.
Draw/paint Don't worry, you don't have to be Picasso for this one. It's enough to just scribble on a piece of paper, without getting a great painting out of it. If you still feel a bit lost about how to approach this, you can use colouring books to guide you! Finger paint can also be really fun if you'd really like to get in there.
Clean/tidy up your room or house I know, this probably sounds like the kind of tip your mom would give you when you tell her you're bored, but it really is effective! Tidying, cleaning, scrubbing, folding, and sorting all demand your hands' attention. And it's a win-win if as a result, you have a clean room!
Crochet/knit I've been addicted to crocheting ever since I picked it up as a hobby a few years ago. There is just something so soothing about working on a project and watching it grow - simply through your own hands!! If you're a beginner, there is a lot of great resources and tutorials out there to help guide you.
Bake/cook something Have a recipe you've been wanting to try out for a long time? Now is the time!! Does it involve a lot of hands-on parts like kneading dough? Even better!! This could also be a fun activity to do with someone else.
Use fidget toys If you've stumbled over this post, then this probably isn't news to you - but fidget toys really do work so well if you need a quick distraction or something to keep you focused and your hands occupied! The trick that makes all the difference to me is to keep them in various places so I can't use laziness as an excuse to not get them. So keep one in your bag, on your keychain, on your desk and on your nightstand and you'll be good to go!
Write a letter Whether it be to someone you love or just to keep for yourself, writing down those thoughts that make your brain go !!! can be really helpful. Maybe you can even write a letter to your past or future self and tell them how proud of them you are - and how grateful for the journey you share.
Paint your nails It really helps me to paint my nails because it gives me that one second of resistance before I pick where I realise I don't really want to mess up my pretty nails by picking. Also, if your nails are just freshly painted, you can't move your hands around too much or you'll get the paint anywhere, which can be helpful to slow down your fidgety hands.
Play a game on your phone Playing little games on my phone is the ideal way for me to distract myself when I am anxiously waiting and have some time to kill, like before a doctor's appointment. It doesn't have to be anything crazy, calmer games like Mahjong or coloring book apps can do the job just as effectively.
Play a musical instrument There is almost no musical instruments (apart from singing of course) which do not in some ways rely on your hands to do the job - so if you have a guitar in your closet you haven't touched in years, now is the time to whip it out! Just a little twinkle twinkle can already be enough to take your mind elsewhere and give your fingers a job to do.
Try finger yoga Yes, you can do what usually involves your entire body just with your fingers! There are a lot of great videos and tutorials for hand and wrist yoga on youtube you can use as a guide on how to do this! Given that we sometimes bend our hands in pretty uncomfortable ways while picking, this can be very helpful to make your you don't injure yourself. Happy relaxing :)
