Everyone has happened to have a song in their head. These songs can be pleasant and relaxing or become a real nightmare. Read on to find out how to free your mind from a piece that haunts you.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Get Involved in the Song
Step 1. Listen to the song until the end
Most of the motifs that remain in our minds are, in fact, parts of a song, like a catchy chorus or maybe a verse or two. Your brain may repeat them over and over because it is "stuck" and doesn't know how to proceed. Hear the whole song from start to finish. This is the most effective solution, although in many cases it is unsuccessful.
Listening to the song doesn't work for all people. If you can't stand the thought of hearing the song again, skip to the Distraction Techniques section
Step 2. Search for the lyrics of the song
Even texts you don't know well or have forgotten can "frustrate" your brain. If that's the case, find the lyrics on the internet. Sing the words out loud or do it mentally, to help your brain process the song.
If you can memorize all the lyrics, the song can become too long to keep in your head
Step 3. Play the song with an instrument
If you know how to play, try playing the song. Dealing with music firsthand and finding out how to play it are methods used by many musicians to solve the problem.
Try out different variations and changes to the song to break the repeat cycle
Step 4. View the changing song
While it may seem difficult to do so, controlling the situation can free you from anxiety. Try changing the song for a few minutes or until you feel frustrated, in the following ways:
- Imagine turning down the volume of the song, until it becomes a whisper.
- Imagine that in your mind there is a house with many smaller rooms inside. Build barriers in front of the song, slowly imprisoning it in a smaller and smaller area. Each time you add a barrier, the volume of the song decreases and its sound becomes more muffled.
Step 5. Imagine finishing the song
When you've turned down the volume of the song, it's time to stop it. Use other visualization techniques to completely expel it from your head:
- Visualize a sword or sharp object in your head, cutting the link between your mind and the song.
- Imagine a turntable down to the smallest detail. Watch carefully as the needle moves along the groove of the record as the song plays; turn it up and enjoy the silence.
- When you get to the end of the song, sing the last note (out loud or in your mind), then gradually lower the pitch until it is much lower than the other notes in the song. In some cases this can serve not to restart the song.
Method 2 of 2: Distract yourself
Step 1. Chew gum
Many people manage to stop "hearing" the music in their head when they chew gum. This tip can also help you ignore the song during the next step.
Step 2. Let your mind wander
A study has shown that countering the song often leads to more frequent and longer-lasting episodes in the future. Try to ignore the passage while thinking about something else. You won't always be able to do this, but take a few minutes to do this.
Step 3. Solve word games
Anagrams, crosswords, and other word-based puzzles can help you forget the song that is bothering you, because to solve those games you engage the same area of the brain that repeats the imaginary text. Stay focused and your brain may be able to follow only one of the two activities.
If this advice doesn't help and you start feeling frustrated, stop. In some cases, a fixed song in your head can get worse if you try to counter it
Step 4. Distract yourself with a verbal activity that calms you down
Relaxing activities are best if the song makes you anxious or if you are worried about not being able to control it. Here are some options that can keep your brain's listening and speech centers busy:
- Recite or read something aloud.
- Talk to someone.
- Meditate.
- Pray.
- Read a book.
- He watches TV.
- Play a video game that includes text or dialogue.
Step 5. Listen to a musical "cure"
Always choose a song you like, so as not to take risks if it should replace the one you have in your head. At best, you will find a "healing song" that drives away the previous song, but doesn't get stuck in your head as well. These songs vary from person to person, but a few more popular ones emerged in a survey:
- God save the Queen
- Karma chameleon from Culture Clubs
- "Happy Birthday to You"
- The A-Team theme song
- Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
- Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel
- If you hate listening to these songs, read on for tips on finding the right song for you.
Step 6. Sing a song you don't know well
Start with a song you know worse than the one you have left in your head. Avoid the "catchy" pieces and look for something you have heard at most once or twice. The harder it is for you to sing the song, the harder it will be for it to stay in your head.
Step 7. Sing a song you know well
If the previous advice didn't work, it's time to move on to the hard way. This cure will often replace the song that's stuck in your head with another one, which should be more enjoyable. Here are some types of suitable songs:
- Songs you know well, especially when associated with important moments in your life or specific memories.
- Easy to sing songs. These pieces have long notes and few tonal variations. Almost all pop songs fall into this category.
- Songs with elements that repeat themselves. These include nursery rhymes, songs with repetitive choruses, and again, almost all pop songs.
Step 8. Solve some math problems
In some cases, you may be able to break the spell with math problems that require your full attention. Try to calculate 8208 ÷ 17 in your head, or multiply 2 x 2 x 2 x 2… as long as possible.
A problem that is too difficult does not involve you. Pick something you can solve
Advice
- Try keeping a different rhythm with your fingers.
- Listen to white noise. Even if the song that stuck in your head isn't physically generated in the eardrum, it's the neurons themselves that are involved. White noise can calm those neurons.
- Listen to a movie soundtrack. Usually they are long pieces that have a little repetitive development.
- Listen to another song. Try a song with a different rhythm or one that belongs to another genre of music.
- Speak very loudly.
- Try playing the song backwards in your head!
- Sing a lot of different songs in a kind of medley.
