Problem: Article: If the car you're painting is heavily dented, the first thing you'll need to do is to remove as many dents as you can to smooth out your painting surface. Glue an appropriately-sized suction cup to the center of the dent using a hot glue gun and wait 1-2 minutes for the glue to harden. Then, pull firmly yet gently on the retractable tab until the metal returns to its original shape. You can pick up a dent repair kit from any auto supply store for just a few dollars. In certain places, like the hood, trunk, and rear panels, it may be possible to pound out dents from the inside of the body using a hammer and dolly. Mix your filler material to a cream consistency on a mixing board or piece of scrap cardboard. Then, spread it over any irregular areas in the body of the car using a clean spreader or buffing pad. It will help fill in these areas, resulting in a smooth, level painting surface. Make sure you use enough putty to fill in each damaged spot completely. To deal with smaller imperfections like pinholes, try a glazing putty. Glaze putties are thinner than ordinary fillers, which allows them to penetrate into places that thicker products can't. This will typically take 10-30 minutes, depending on the product you're working with and the amount you've applied. In the meantime, avoid handling the putty. Otherwise, you may accidentally smudge an area you just repaired. Body filler materials don't technically "dry," they cure via chemical reaction. For this reason, a heat lamp or hair dryer can come in handy to help speed things along. Some body filler materials double as primers, which means you can paint right over them as soon as they've cured. Be sure to read the specifications on the product you're usingit could end up saving you a lot of time. Once your putty has had time to cure completely, go over it with a sheet of sandpaper 150-180-grit sandpaper. Be sure to sand in all different directions, using vertical, lateral, and circular strokes to produce a seamless finish. While sanding your filler material, it's especially important to feather the edges to minimize the chances of lines or ridges showing up in the finished paint. A block sander can make smoothing large areas easier and more comfortable.
Summary: Pull out large dents using a dent repair kit. Fill in gouges, dings, and depressions with body filler putty. Wait for your filler material to harden. Sand the edges around the hardened filler to smooth it out.

Problem: Article: Erase your ex's number from your phone completely and you'll be less likely to send a text. If you try, you'll scan your contacts, not see their name, and instantly be reminded that texting them is a no-no. You can also try putting the person's number on your phone's block list, especially if there's a chance they may reach out to you. When the urge strikes to text your ex, reach out to a friend or family member instead. Let this person know what's going on and have them distract you from the impulse. Say something like, "Today would be our anniversary, so I'm tempted to text. Convince me to change my mind, please!" Let your friends know that you may need their help with this while you recover from the breakup. For example, you can say, "I often want to text my ex. Can you help me when I'm feeling tempted?" You and your friends might even devise a code word that you can text them when you're upset. For example, you might text them "ex alert" or a certain emoji. If you're feeling particularly weak at any given time, surrender your phone completely. Hand it over to a friend or family member until the urge fades. Thanks to technology, you can call in reinforcements to help you stop texting your ex. Scroll through your smart phone's app store to check out the available breakup apps. Download the app and use it until the urge to text your ex fades. Certain apps, like Ex Lover Blocker, are designed to limit your ability to reach out to your ex by calling your friends whenever you try to make contact. You might find that you are able to keep thoughts of your ex at bay during the days when you're otherwise busy. However, you might be tempted to reach out at night when you're bored or lonely. If this is the case, shut off your phone for a few hours each night and spend time doing nourishing self-care activities instead. Watch your favorite movie, study, read a book, or paint your nails to occupy yourself each evening instead of using your phone. Let friends and family know of others ways they can reach you if they need to, such as through email or instant messaging on your computer.
Summary: Delete your ex's number. Call or text someone else. Give your phone to someone else. Install a breakup app. Power off your phone in the evenings.

Problem: Article: Deep breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, helps you relax both physically and mentally. Research has shown that using this technique during times of stress helps alleviate symptoms of stress like lip biting and other bad habits. When you feel the urge to bite your lips, try doing this instead: Sit up straight so that your torso is perpendicular to the ground. Take slow, controlled breaths that fill your abdomen. You should feel your stomach moving in and out. If your chest is moving up and down, you're breathing is too shallow. Focus on breathing deeper. Continue deep breathing until you feel relaxed and no longer want to bite your lips. Deep breathing is commonly included as a step in habit reversal techniques. This is another physical technique with profound mental effects. It takes several minutes to complete. Do this technique in times of great stress to resettle yourself and stop the urge to bite your lips. Like deep breathing, this is also a common step in habit reversal techniques. Tense the muscles in your arms as hard as you can. Breathe in deeply and hold your muscles tight for five seconds. Exhale and release the tension at the same time. Stay completely relaxed for 15 seconds. Choose another muscle group to tense for five seconds. Try your legs, torso, buttocks or jaw. Continue alternating between tensing and relaxing until you've gotten to all the main muscle groups. Keep going until the urge to bite your lips passes. You may need to rotate between muscle groups for up to fifteen minutes. Mindfulness is the act of being fully in the present. When you pay more attention to your body and how it feels, you'll be less likely to bite your lips absent-mindedly. Mindfulness takes a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it you can use this technique anytime, anywhere to great effect. When you feel anxious, immediately focus on your five senses. What do you see in front of you? What do you taste in your mouth? What do you hear around you? What do you feel with your hands? What do you smell in the air? Keep focusing on your physical state until you ride out the anxious thoughts. If you're having trouble focusing, try the quick trick of looking at your hands while you clasp them together. This will help to ground you in your body immediately.
Summary:
Practice deep breathing. Practice progressive muscle relaxation. Practice mindfulness.