The Conditioner Song: An ADHD Life Hack That Actually Works

Many folks with ADHD have a hard time keeping track of themselves during multi-step routines. Take, for example, remembering to rinse out the conditioner before leaving the shower.

Does the bottle say that it is “leave-in” conditioner? Yes it does. But it doesn’t mean to leave it in all day, and I have typically discovered that I have forgotten to rinse it out at some point while getting dressed after a shower.

Here I am sharing an effective strategy for solving this problem. I give you: The Conditioner Song.

This ADHD life hack is silly, and the song is wicked annoying. But it also helps and so I share it. It’s sung to the tune of “The Addams Family” theme song:

The Conditioner Song

… The C is for Conditioner, The C is for conditioner, The C is for Condition that has to get rinsed out!
… The O is for -onditioner, the O is for -onditioner, the O is for -onditioner that has to get rinsed out!
… The N is for -nditioner, the N is for -nditioner, the N is for -nditioner that has to get rinsed out!

… And it continues from there, spelling out “Conditioner” step by step until you’ve gotten all the way to the end of the word.

The idea is that when you put the conditioner in your hair, you start singing this song. You get to stop singing it when you rinse the conditioner out.

I know it’s annoying. That’s the whole point. It’s annoying enough that it’s almost impossible to forget.

I recorded myself singing the entire song. If my text-based description doesn’t convey the experience well enough, or if you are curious about the condition of the pores on my face, check out the captioned video of The Conditioner Song.

I’m no singer, but I share for the science.

So Why Do We Have This Struggle?

This is probably related to a difficulty with task switching – disengaging from one activity and engaging in another, sometimes re-engaging in an earlier task. When we put the conditioner in our hair, our ADHD brains might task switch to the next thing (i.e. soap, scrub) without circling back to re-engage in that first task to do rinsing (Kiesel et al., 2010).

Why Does the Conditioner Song Work?

The song acts as an external auditory cue that stays active until you complete the task. By repeating the song, you’re reminding yourself over and over to finish the task. This external cue helps override the tendency to move on too soon, allowing you to complete the current action before your brain shifts focus.

So you can do soap and scrub, go for it. You have done these tasks your whole life and you can do them while singing The Conditioner Song. It keeps you present, minimizes the chance of incomplete task execution, and provides enough novelty and structure to engage your brain until the conditioner is rinsed out.

It’s the same reason that repeating the count aloud in a sing-song way can help you keep track when you’re trying to bake, or sort things, or scoop a certain number of things into a container.

We’re just making an external auditory cue for ourselves because task switching can be a big barrier. So! Sing weird songs. Make up silly things to repeat out loud. Do what you need to do, friends. These are skillful strategies – embrace them.

Will This Work for Everybody?

I mean, look. Nothing works for everybody. YMMV. I encourage you to adapt things for yourself. Maybe there’s a better tune for you. Or maybe singing is not your thing. Maybe you can set phone timer-reminders.

The take-away is that we all have to strategize. It’s about building a life that includes the supports you need. Sometimes those supports include singing annoying songs to yourself.

Want to discuss this topic?

* There is this post on bluesky and this thread on facebook *  

References

• Kiesel, A., Steinhauser, M., Wendt, M., Falkenstein, M., Jost, K., Philipp, A. M., & Koch, I. (2010). Control and Interference in Task Switching—A Review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(5), 849-874. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019842.
• Baddeley, A. (2003). Working Memory and Language: An Overview. Journal of Communication Disorders, 36(3), 189-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9924(03)00019-4.