Touching your face is natural, but you can avoid doing it

With the deadly coronavirus wreaking havoc world over, proper hand hygiene and not touching your face are the topmost precautions one can take. Though touching the face comes out of habit for most of the people, it can be avoided with a little effort.

Hyderabad: The fear psychosis surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has now created a situation where people feel their hands are their biggest enemies.

The deadly virus can be contracted if one inhales the spores emitted by a person carrying the disease. But what is more dangerous, is when one touches objects on which the virus must have settled.

Hence, it is important not only to wash our hands with soap often, but also to avoid touching the face as much as possible.

However, practicing the above is not easy, as we tend to touch our nose and mouth out of habit. Studies show that we touch our face at least 23 times per hour.

So, how do we get it under control?

It is important to understand when and how we touch our face with our hands. Some people brood by resting their chin on their hands when they are bored or in deep thought. Some people may rub their forehead while feeling sad. Some people bite their nails thinking about something.

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Hence, it is important to identify these traits to put an end to them.

• What one can do is to wash hands with a perfumed soap, or apply any lotion or perfume to the hands. This way, whenever the hands come near the face, you will be alerted by the smell.
• While stepping out, wearing a face mask which covers the nose and mouth can protect the face.
• If you feel bored, try engaging yourself with a stress ball, fidget spinner, or even a rubber band.
• If you sit in front of a desk or table, do not put your hands on them; place your hands on your lap or under your thigh.
• It is advisable to have tissue paper or napkin available. It is useful for wiping eyes, nose and mouth.

No matter how careful you are or how hard you try, it is difficult to not touch your face. But staying away from others, often washing your hands should not be a big problem. Therefore, it is important to remember the practice of washing hands and maintaining social distancing.

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