This comes courtesy of one of my coaching clients, who was happy for me to share her fun and creative approach:
“I’ve been around the block of many therapies. My psychiatrist was very expensive so I started using this 3 pronged approach at home. My approach uses (1) reward calendar (2) hypnosis (3) pampering. :) I printed monthly calendars from calendarlabs.com which I display on my fridge and bought good old-fashioned kindergarten-style reward stickers. Each day I go pick-free, I get a sticker for the day! It’s juvenile and hilarious, which drives me to stick with it. You can even use iphone apps for this. On days I slip, it’s okay. (2) I can STILL get a sticker if I listen to my “Stop Skin Picking” hypnosis audio track, which I have found very helpful. This way, picking is not a “fail,” but not doing anything about it is. (3) Once I accumulate 30 days worth of stickers, I “win” a manicure for myself. I’m still not 100%, but this has been the most helpful system for me and lets me focus on the positives. At some point in your journey, I think it’s healthy to turn this into a fun game if you can!”
p.s. Have you downloaded my free “Freedom Kit”? It comes with a written and audio report, “Why you pick your skin and how to finally stop,” a video on “how to stop skin picking urges in two minutes flat,” and my “Live Free” newsletter in your inbox each month. Learn more here.