Health experts are recommending people avoid shaking hands, stop touching their faces and thoroughly wash their hands in light of the coronavirus outbreak, Deseret News reported.
The advice seems simple enough, but if you’re having trouble keeping your hands off of your face, you are not alone. The past few days people have discovered just how often they touch their faces and how hard it is to stop. And they’ve been tweeting about it.
Studies have shown that face touching is a common habit and one that is difficult to break — one study found that on average, people touch their faces more than 20 times an hour. The New York Times reported that face touching — particularly any contact with the eyes, nose or mouth — is a key way people pick up diseases like COVID-19.
Here are some tips on how to break the now dangerous habit.
- Take time to notice when and where you want to touch your face.
“It is key to spend a day noting time and place for your touching your face,” clinical psychologist Paul DePompo told the Huffington Post. “This may be when you are reading, driving, zoning out, under stress, etc.”
- After identifying the cause of the problem, people should wear something new either on their face or hands as a cue to remind them to stop before touching, The Washington Post reported.
- People who have a habit of resting their face in their hands should keep objects such as stress balls in their hands instead, cognitive scientist Denise Cummins told the Huffington Post. Having other items to fidget with or hold can help people avoid touching their faces.
- Opt for glasses over contacts. The lenses offer an additional barrier between stray fingers and the eye, Forbes reported.
- If you do need to touch your face, the Washington Post recommends putting a clean barrier between the bare hand and the face, like a tissue or paper towel.