Top Ten Ways to Get Rid of an Earworm
To start, earworms are a piece of song repeated inside the head, typically caused by specific songs that usually consist of a catchy or repetitive tune or chorus. Earworms are among one of the most annoying things to get stuck in your head, as it drives the vast majority of people insane; fortunately, there are some methods that do work for most or some people. Here are some effective top ten methods of getting rid of an earworm; it is not guaranteed they will always work for some. It is worth a try to consider using these methods whether an earworm enters your mind.The most effective way of letting out an earworm is simply listening to the current song that's stuck in your head. For the method to work, you'll have to listen to the whole song without skipping or pausing. The method works in most cases if the song has an ending part. If the song ending consists of a loop, then it's likely the method won't work, or is less effective.
Yes! I shall listen to Something!
It would seem unpleasant, but letting the earworm fade is an effective method. It usually takes minutes to hours. The most important technique is to simply ignore the earworm and let it play inside your head, eventually fading away. Don't fight or try to force it away, otherwise this method will fail for you. It is recommended to use this method as a last resort in case all other methods fail.
Puzzles are a good method of eliminating an earworm. Preferably solve a challenging word puzzle, math puzzle, or do crosswords, although make sure it's not too hard or too easy. The difficulty of the puzzle should be considerably challenging and stimulating enough for your mind to focus on solving the problem.
If possible, initiating or getting involved in a conversation is known to be an effective method. Whether it's casual chit-chat or any topic, conversations can be stimulating enough and distract the brain from earworms. Talking to yourself also works for some people to an extent.
If the current earworm playing seems unpleasant to hear in your head, listening to a particular song you like can be a good way to rid of the current earworm. Every time that catchy tune comes up in your head, bringing the other song up comes up handy.
If possible, if the earworm consists of a piece of lyrics, and you have it memorized in your head, you should be able to sing it either mentally or aloud to slowly eliminate the earworm.
YES! You're asking me, will my love grow? I don't know, I don't know!
Reading quietly can sometimes be a good distraction from the earworm in some people. As long as you keep your mind focused on reading, this works especially well in a considerably quiet environment.
For some, sufficient exercise or doing other strenuous activities can be a good distraction to the mind. Jogging, running, or other gym or sport activities are some activities that help rid of an earworm or at least decrease the severity to some extent.
Chewing gum or other food in your mouth is known to be a very effective method of stopping earworms. As the earworm is usually associated with short-term memory, doing other movements in your mouth can also be an effective distraction from recalling short-term memory, disrupting the earworm.
For some, video games are effective distractions when it comes to earworms. Action games, strategy games. Any game that's fast-paced or consists of stimulating gameplay comes best at distracting the mind, gradually eliminating the earworm.