EARWORM – MY THOUGHTS THAT GETS STUCK

The other day, while I was driving, Kurt Darren’s song “Oorwurm” played on the radio. Now, I’ve heard this song before, and my first reaction was honestly, “Kurt… what is this?” But the more I listened, the catchier it became. Before I knew it, the tune had crawled into my brain, set up camp, and there I was humming it like it was my life’s soundtrack.

If you look up the definition, an earworm is described as “a catchy song or melody that repeats involuntarily in a person’s mind.” And that got me thinking… “What if our thoughts work the same way?”

When Thoughts Become Earworms

Our thoughts are incredibly powerful. They shape our mood, our behaviour, and ultimately our wellbeing. And just like a song that gets stuck in your head, many of us have mental “tunes” that play on repeat — except these aren’t catchy pop songs. They’re often negative, critical, and draining.

These thought-earworms loop in the background of our minds until they start influencing how we feel and how we show up in the world.

Let me show you how quickly this happens.

A Negative Earworm in Action

Imagine you’re struggling with a task at work or school. Your inner voice starts singing:

• “I can’t do this.”

• “I’m not good enough.”

• “Everyone else gets it except me.”

That little melody gets stuck. Soon, you start feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, maybe even worthless. And eventually, you give up — not because you’re incapable, but because the earworm convinced you that you are.

Joyce Meyer puts it perfectly: “many of our problems are rooted in our thinking patterns.” In other words, we’re often thinking ourselves into trouble. We blame our families, our jobs, our circumstances… but sometimes the real culprit is the soundtrack playing in our own minds.

What If You Changed the Tune?

Now imagine replacing that negative earworm with a positive, empowering one.

What would happen if the melody stuck in your mind sounded more like:

• “This is challenging, but I can try.”

• “I don’t have to know everything — I can ask for help.”

• “I am learning, growing, and improving.”

This doesn’t happen overnight. Just like learning the lyrics to a new song, positive thinking takes practice, repetition, and intention.

But it is possible.

Every time you catch yourself humming a negative mental tune, pause and switch the track. Rephrase it. Soften it. Turn it into something kinder and more realistic.

That’s positive self-talk — and it’s one of the most powerful tools you can use to rewire your brain.

Why Saying It Out Loud Matters

Thinking something is one thing. Saying it out loud? That’s when the magic happens.

When you speak a positive thought, your brain pays attention. It starts questioning the old negative beliefs and slowly begins to accept the new melody you’re introducing. Over time, that positive tune becomes the one that sticks — your new mental earworm.

When You Need Help Changing the Song

For many people, negative thought-earworms come from deeper challenges or past experiences. And sometimes, changing the tune on your own is hard — really hard.

That’s where support makes a difference.

If you feel stuck with a negative mental melody that keeps looping, Yara Counselling can help you explore where it comes from and guide you towards a healthier, more uplifting tune. Let me help you find a positive, catchy, life-giving earworm that supports your wellbeing instead of draining it.

You can also visit my resources page at yaracounselling.com, where you’ll find a practical exercise to help you rephrase negative thought patterns into empowering ones.