How to Get Rid of a Song Stuck in Your Head

Many people experience the annoying phenomenon of having songs stuck in their heads for days or even weeks. This condition is commonly called an 'earworm' or 'brainworm.' It can be a fun and relaxing experience at times, but for others, it can feel like a nightmare. Keep reading to find out how to deal with these tunes and remove them from your mind.

Listen to the entire song. The melody stuck in your head, or the 'earworm,' is often just a part of the song, like a catchy chorus or a specific line of music. Try listening to the entire song from beginning to end. Your brain may replay the stuck part because it is 'trapped' and unsure of what to do next. Listening to the full song is the most effective solution, though sometimes it doesn't always yield the desired results.

• Not everyone can do this. If you don't enjoy hearing the song again, skip this step and explore other techniques for distracting yourself.

Search for the lyrics. Lyrics can also 'disable' your brain. Try searching for the song lyrics online. Sing along with the lyrics or 'whisper-sing' to help your mind process the song better.

• It would be more effective if you can memorize the entire lyrics, as this will prevent your brain from storing the song due to its length.

Use instruments to recreate the song. If you can play an instrument, try to recreate the song. Learning the song and finding ways to perform it yourself can help many musicians solve this issue.

• Try making adjustments and adding changes to break the repetitive cycle of the song.

Visualize changes in the song. Even though this might be challenging for you, the ability to control the situation can help reduce your anxiety. For a few minutes or until you start feeling frustrated, try changing the song in the following ways:

• Imagine you're turning the song's volume down until it sounds like a whisper.
• Picture your mind as a room with many smaller rooms inside. Build barriers in front of the song, gently locking it in distant areas. Each time you build a barrier, the song's volume will decrease and seem to be more blocked.

Visualize the end of the song. As the song's volume gradually fades, it's time for the song to end. Use additional visual techniques to completely remove the song from your mind:

• Picture a sharp object like a sword in your mind to sever the connection between your thoughts and the song.
• Visualize a detailed image of a music player. Focus on the movement of the needle along the grooves of the vinyl as the song plays. Lift the needle off the record and listen to the sudden silence it brings.
• As the song nears its end, sing the final note (mentally singing loudly), then gradually lower the pitch of that note until it becomes lower than any note in the song. This method may help prevent the song from looping in your mind again.

Chew gum. For many people, chewing gum can interfere with their ability to 'hear' the song in their head. This method can also help you ignore the song in the next step.

Let your mind wander. Research has shown that fighting the song often makes it repeat more frequently and for a longer duration in the future. Try ignoring the melody by thinking about something else. You may not always be able to do this, but try spending a few minutes attempting.

Solve puzzles. Word scrambles, crosswords, and other puzzle games can help remove the song from your mind. When you think about words, your brain uses similar functions as when it thinks about song lyrics to solve them. Focus on these tasks, and it will force your brain to handle only one of the two tasks.

• If this method doesn’t make a difference and makes you feel more frustrated, stop. Sometimes, the earworm can worsen if you try to fight it.

Distract yourself with language-based activities. Relaxation activities can be effective if you are anxious about your earworm symptoms or feel stressed because you can't control it. Here are some methods you can use to focus on your brain's listening and language centers:

• Recite or read aloud a passage.
• Engage in conversation.
• Practice meditation.
• Pray.
• Read a book.
• Watch television.
• Play games involving language and/or text.

Listen to a 'healing' song. Always choose a song you enjoy to prevent it from getting stuck in your head! Ideally, use a 'healing melody' that can help remove the old song without leaving it stuck in your mind. Most 'healing melodies' are different for each person, but in a previous survey, the following songs seemed to be the most popular:

• God Save the Queen
• Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
• Happy Birthday To You
• The A-Team theme song
• Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
• Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel
• If you don’t like these songs, keep exploring advice to find your own healing song.

Sing along to a song you're not familiar with. Start with a song that is unlikely to stick in your mind. Avoid catchy tunes, and the best approach is to find a song you've heard once or twice before. The harder it is for you to sing along, the less likely your mind will latch onto it.

Sing along to a song you're familiar with. If the above methods don't work, it's time to try a more intense approach. However, this method won't completely erase the song from your brain, but hopefully, it will make it less bothersome. Here are some types of songs that tend to 'get stuck' in your head:

• Songs you're very familiar with, especially those tied to a memory or sentiment.
• Songs that are easy to sing along to. These often have extended musical sections and little variation in pitch. Most pop songs fit this description.
• Songs with repetitive melodies. These include children's songs, tunes with repeating choruses, and, again, most pop songs.

Do some math. Sometimes, you can remove a song from your mind by focusing all your attention on solving math problems. Try calculating the result of 8208 ÷ 17, or 2 x 2 x 2 x 2... anything you can manage.

• A math problem that's too difficult won't engage your focus effectively. Choose a problem that fits within your ability.

• Use your fingertips to create different melodies.
• Listen to 'white noise'. While the song stuck in your head isn't directly caused by your eardrums, similar neural pathways are affected. White noise can improve the condition of these neural cells.
• Sing combinations of different songs, like a remix.
• Talk to yourself out loud.
• Listen to songs from movies. These are often longer and divided in a way that prevents them from repeating.
• Listen to a different song. Try a song with a different melody or genre.
• Try performing the song in reverse in your mind!