If you do a cursory search of how to stop skin picking, one of the top products and advice you’ll find is the fidget toy in all its many varieties. Use fidget toys instead of picking!

But does it work?

Or does fidgeting just make you more fidgety and more picky?

In my decade-plus coaching hundreds of people to stop or greatly reduce their picking, I don’t think anyone has done it with fidget toys being a main strategy.

While fidgeting can help you focus and reduce damage to your skin if you are able to hang onto it instead of letting it go to go pick again, it won’t calm you down or teach your body how to not touch and therefore pick your skin.

While it’s usually more complicated than this, here are three things that will work to prevent picking:

1) Blocking strategies. Identify top situations that you habitually pick in and then do something to prevent yourself from touching your skin. For example, tape over your fingernails with medical tape.

2) Calming, focusing, centering strategies. Here’s a movement exercise you can do. Or get my free Freedom Kit to learn the best breathing exercise that’s a game-changer for many of my clients.

3) Reducing sugar and caffeine. These both can increase picking a lot.

This is the bare bones on the topic of fidgets and skin picking. You might want to watch the video too!

Love and support,

Annette