You’re sitting at the office, trying to solve a problem in a spreadsheet, or are browsing at the internet for specific information you need, or perhaps you are reading an email that is not all that amusing to you. Then, without paying much attention or even feeling like you are meaning to do it, you start biting your nails one by one. Sound familiar?
This is a sign that you may simply be a perfectionist. Let’s take a closer look:
People who are generally impatient, or who get bored or frustrated easily, are more likely to engage in repetitive body-focused behaviors such as skin-picking, nail-biting or eyelash-pulling, the researchers found.
“We believe that individuals with these repetitive behaviors may be perfectionistic, meaning that they are unable to relax and to perform task at a ‘normal’ pace,” Dr. Kieron O’Connor, professor of psychiatry at the university and the study’s lead author,said in a press release Tuesday.
“They are therefore prone to frustration, impatience, and dissatisfaction when they do not reach their goals. They also experience greater levels of boredom.”