Are you trying to stock up on antibacterial hand gel, wipes and toilet paper? The best bet is to quit touching your face and make sure you wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds.
If you're a chronic face toucher, you aren't alone.
A study from 2015 found that the average person touches their face around 23 times an hour -- and nearly half of those touches are near the mouth, nose, and eyes. The best way to avoid doing it, according to experts, is to make it a priority in your mind so you don’t do it without realizing it. Easier said than done, right?!
Here are some tips to help you at least cut back on how often you touch your face:
- Keep track of every time you touch your face: Sounds tedious but the easiest way to break a bad habit is to acknowledge when you do it. Do you touch your face when you are bored, tired, or nervous? This will narrow down when you do it and keep you hyper vigilant about avoiding it.
- Keep your hands busy: It’s hard to touch your face if you’ve got a stress ball in your hand. Busy hands are less likely to end up on your face.
- Give yourself reminders: A post-it note on the top of your computer screen will remind you not to touch your face.
- Focus on what you can control: If you can’t stop your face touching habit, control how clean your hands are and the surfaces you frequently touch. (MSN)