Been singing the same refrain for what seems like hours on end and can't seem to get the annoyingly catchy ditty out of your head? Here's how to rid your mind of the song.
Real Simple Magazine consulted James Kellaris, a University of Cincinnati professor who studies why catchy tunes stick in our heads. James says that to stop the looping, "listen either to complex music, like Mozart, or unfamiliar music that lacks a hook, like New Age."
And if that doesn't work, try singing the song all the way through or simply listen to it in its entirety. This will give your brain a sense of completion and should relax your need to continue repeating the lyrics. As for situations where you can't remember some or all of the lyrics, just rewrite the end to get the song out of your head.
If you have suggestions for complex and unfamiliar music that you've used to thwart the song in your head (or other tricks to achieve the same goal), leave them in the comments.