- 1). Identify what is triggering your knuckle cracking. If you crack your knuckles only in stressful situations, try to remove yourself from those situations. If you crack them only when you watch television, find a more active way to spend your free time. Whatever the trigger, try to minimize your exposure to it in order to free yourself from the habit. (See References 1)
- 2). Commit to your goal and make it something that will be easy to accomplish. Don't tell yourself you will never crack your knuckles again; that is an unreasonable goal, and if you fail you may be tempted to give up completely. Take small steps like committing to not cracking your knuckles for a week. Tell people what you are doing so they can encourage and support your goal. Give yourself an incentive, perhaps a gift to yourself if you accomplish your goal. (See References 1)
- 3). Replace knuckle cracking with a positive behavior. If you find yourself fidgeting with your hands a lot, try squeezing a stress ball or playing a game of cards. The replacement habit should be similar to your old habit in order to satisfy your need. (See References 1)
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