What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD (What-to-Do Guides for Kids) (What-to-Do Guides for Kids Series)

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Certain songs are catchier than others, and so more likely to “auto repeat” in your head. When music psychologist Kelly Jakubowski and her colleagues studied why, they found these songs were faster and simpler in melodic contour (the pitch rose and fell in ways that made them easier to sing). And the music also had some unique intervals between notes that made the song stand out. The catchiest tunes on the UK charts between 2010 and 2013 were “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” (somewhat ironically) by Kylie Minogue, and “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. What predisposes to earworms? A Gold NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards) winner ​ Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Activity Books (Silver) Did you know that people have brain sorters that keep their brains from getting cluttered with unnecessary thoughts? Sometimes these brain sorters get mixed up, though, and brains get clogged with thoughts that really bother kids.

This anxiety symptom is often referred to as unwanted and repetitive thoughts. Some refer to it as obsessions or obsessional thinking. Chew gum (or something healthier) – research has found that chewing something can eliminate ‘earworms’ for some people.

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Earworms” are unwanted catchy tunes that repeat in your head. These relentless tunes play in a loop in up to 98% of people in the western world. For two-thirds of people they are neutral to positive, but the remaining third find it disturbing or annoying when these songs wriggle their way into the brain’s memory centers and set up home, threatening to disrupt their inner peace. Which songs become earworms? This toolbox can include activities you enjoy, like reading, solving puzzles, crafting, or listening to music. Adding sensory experiences can be very calming as well. You can try stress balls, fidgets, soft blankets, and more. By selecting activities that captivate your attention and require active involvement, you effectively redirect your thoughts away from the loop’s intensity. In every undistracted moment you find your mind replaying the unwanted thought, concept, melody, or song over and over again.

Other techniques found to be helpful include those from cognitive behavioral therapy, such as replacing dysfunctional thoughts like “These earworms indicate I am crazy” with “It is normal to have earworms.” A less intuitive cure for earworms is chewing gum. It interferes with hearing the song in your head. While chapter two of the book does include the hand-washing example—because it's so classic most likely—the graphic images and thought bubbles throughout the book show characters grappling with what-if questions, always/never limitations, pressures in the form of "I better do..." or "I need to...," as well as "should/must/ought" phrasing. Cheryl Carmin, clinical psychologist and OCD specialist, created this book to guide those living with OCD and their loved ones. Did you know that people have brain sorters that keep their brains from getting cluttered with unnecessary thoughts? Sometimes these brain sorters get mixed up, though, and brains get clogged with thoughts that really bother kids.

There is a particular characteristic of music that lends itself to becoming an earworm. In contrast to our daily speech, music typically has repetition built into it. Can you imagine how absurd it would be if people repeated themselves in chorus? Yet, though repetition of speech is associated with childishness, regression, and even insanity, in the case of music it may signify a process that becomes pleasurable when it is understood through repetition. Also, each time music repeats, you hear something subtly different. This learning may constitute one of the positive aspects of earworms. Also, earworms are a form of spontaneous mental activity, and mind-wandering states confer various advantages to the brain, contributing to clear thinking and creativity. Are earworms ever worrisome? Stress increases the electrical activity in the brain. Increased electrical activity in the brain will cause an increase in thought generation. This increased thought generation can cause thoughts to replay over and over again. Without healthy coping mechanisms, thought loops can be challenging and distressing, to say the least. Dawn Huebner, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxious children and their parents. She is the author of 9 books, including the bestselling What to Do When You Worry Too Much and more recent, Outsmarting Worry. Some people try to distract themselves from the song, and it works. In one study, the most helpful “cure” tunes were “God Save The Queen” by Thomas Arne and “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club. Others seek out the tune in question, because it is commonly believed that earworms occur when you remember only part of a song; hearing the entire song may extinguish it.