Stop Touching Your Face!
Photo by Jimmy Fermin on Unsplash
You know what will tank your productivity real quick? Getting sick.
Now, you might be freaking out about coronavirus, or you might think everyone else is freaking out and that you’re the sane one. But you know one thing I bet you’re doing, regardless of whether you’re worried or not? Touching your face a bajillion times a day.
And you know what the quickest way to get sick is? Touching your face.
One of the primary ways viruses spread is when we touch our own mouth, nose and eyes. You might not think you are doing this super often, but you’re likely just not aware of it.
A 2015 study showed that we touch our faces on average 23 times AN HOUR.
So, how do we break this terrible, face-touching habit?
As I’m always telling my clients, willpower alone is not enough. Sometimes we need to employ some crutches to help us. Here are a few ideas:
Change the lock screen of your phone to “Don’t touch your face”
Put a post-it on your monitor that says the same
Fine yourself - every time you touch your face, add a dollar your “stop touching my face charity fund” or better yet, commit to giving this money to a cause your DON’T agree with (for greater motivation)
Create an if/then plan; if you feel yourself wanting to touch your face, instead come up with another action (scratch your ear, tap you fingers on the table, click a pen, etc.)
How else can we employ habits to help ourselves stay healthy and productive?
Wash your hands…often.
Here are some tips for building the hand-washing habit:
Use the strategy of convenience. Put hand sanitizer by every door in your house; put a bottle on your desk at work.
Use the strategy of stacking. Attach this habit to habits you already hold strongly. Wash your hands after you brush your teeth. Wash your hands when you get coffee from the kitchen in the morning (and throughout the day). Wash your hands before you eat.
Break the habit of touching your face, and build the habit of washing your hands and you’ll be helping yourself stay healthy AND productive.
(If you do get sick, you can read here about how to stay as productive as possible when you’re under the weather.)