What to do if a popular tune is stuck in your head: a simple way to turn off the music

21.11.2024 14:00

Having heard or remembered completely by chance a popular song motif, you can be sure that your brain will start playing it on repeat.

Such music in your head prevents you from concentrating on important things, it is annoying, makes you nervous and can make you aggressive.

It can be even worse: a song is playing, but the person cannot remember its title, the artist, or the circumstances under which he might have heard this composition.

All this begins to distract even more, and the song begins to pester even more.

If you can somehow get rid of hiccups by drinking water or holding your breath, then there is no escape from the motive that has lodged itself in your head. But this is at first glance.

Rich
Photo: © Belnovosti

There is one simple way to just turn off annoying music.

The easy way

First, accept the idea that the harder you try to forget this song, the longer it will “sound”.

The scientific name for this phenomenon is the Zeigarnik effect. It can be explained approximately as follows: a person's consciousness persistently concentrates on an unfinished action.

So, instead of trying to distract yourself or otherwise forget the haunting melody, try to remember the last lines of the song.

A simple trick will reboot your brain so you can get on with important things.

For reference

A motive is the simplest rhythmic unit of a melody, consisting of a short sequence of sounds united by one logical accent.

Igor Zur Author: Igor Zur Internet resource editor