Why the best ideas come to you in the shower, the famous "Deadline Mode" and the lie of brainstorming

This article is about how we think, or rather, how we manage to do certain things depending on our level of relaxation, stress and intensity. Today we are going to talk about the brain.

Specifically, brain waves.

What are brain waves?

Brain waves are electromagnetic waves (like radio waves, for example) that are produced by the brain's own electrical activity. These waves in the brain have very low frequencies (their equivalent in sound waves would be similar to the sounds of whales), very low amplitudes (the brain works with very little voltage) and very long wavelengths (depending on the wave, it can be like the distance between the earth and the moon).

Every electromagnetic wave always travels at the speed of light , and its formula is determined by:

speed (v) = frequency (f) x wavelength (λ)

Which implies that, since the speed is constant, the lower the frequency, the longer the wavelength, and vice versa.

These types of brain waves have no direct function in the human body, as the brain generates them as a result of its activity, but they do not carry information. However, measuring these waves is crucial to understanding the inner workings of the brain, as they play specific roles in regulating consciousness, cognitive activity, sleep, meditation, critical thinking, and creativity. Therefore, each type of brain wave is associated with different mental and physical states.

Types of brain waves

Specifically, there are 5 types of brain waves: Delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma (ordered from lowest to highest frequency) and each is associated with a mental state.

Delta waves (δ) - Very low frequency (0.5-4 Hz)

Delta waves are present during deep sleep and are crucial for the body's healing and regeneration. In this state, the brain is unaware of its surroundings and the body is recovering from daily wear and tear.

Children more easily reach the deep sleep characteristic of these waves, which is why they transmit that feeling of placidity, since they are completely asleep, and they also regenerate much sooner. This brain state during sleep is essential for the growth and development of the child.

Curiosities :

• During this phase of sleep you almost never have dreams, it is the deepest phase and the body focuses all its efforts on regeneration.
• Children have a lot of delta wave activity during sleep and the elderly have little, so the older you get, the worse your body regenerates.
• There are deep meditation techniques that seek to generate these types of waves to enter an intense phase of healing and cellular regeneration. It is also considered that by reaching this phase while awake through meditation, one connects with the subconscious, accessing parts of the mind that are not available during wakefulness, which can enhance a person's intuition and creativity.

Theta waves (θ) - Low frequency (4-8 Hz)

Theta waves are found on the border between the state of wakefulness and sleep. They are associated with dreams, deep meditation and states of high creativity. They facilitate the connection with the subconscious and the processing of emotions, which is why they are ideal for creativity, meditation, innovation, introspection, and repetitive or automatic tasks that do not require full conscious attention.

Curiosities :

• Children, especially those under 7, spend much more time in a theta state. This is related to their high capacity for imagination, free play and intuitive learning.
• Theta waves are also present during trance states, such as those induced by rhythm, dance, or shamanic rituals. These states allow for a disconnection from ordinary reality and a connection to other dimensions of human experience.

Alpha Waves (α) - Medium Frequency (8-12 Hz)

Alpha waves are indicative of a relaxed, calm state while awake. They are common during meditation, just before sleep, and upon awakening. This state is ideal for activities such as meditation, reading, light creativity, and tasks that require quiet concentration, such as interpreting maps, charts, or diagrams.

Alpha waves predominate when we close our eyes and relax, but without actually falling asleep. In this state, the mind is calm but alert, which makes it easier to manage stress and allows us to disconnect from external stimuli to focus on inner thoughts.

Curiosities:

• People experience a greater ability to solve creative problems or receive insights during times when alpha waves are predominant.
• Alpha waves are associated with the state of “flow,” where you are completely immersed in an activity and lose track of time. This is the ideal state for developing new ideas and solving problems in a creative or alternative way to the usual, and therefore, for innovation.
• Listening to relaxing music or nature sounds induces a high amount of alpha waves in the brain. This is part of the reason why calm music is so effective at reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
• Alpha waves are also present in the transition between wakefulness and sleep, as well as when waking up. This is the time when you can experience a state of semi-consciousness, where dreams can blend with reality.

Beta (β) waves - High frequency (12-20 Hz)

Beta waves are the mainstay when we are awake, alert and focused, especially during activities that require our full attention, such as studying, working or solving complex problems.

These waves are triggered during moments of greatest cognitive activity, when the brain is in overdrive, processing information and making decisions. However, this accelerated pace can also become a double-edged sword, since prolonged maintenance in this state leads to situations of stress and anxiety, as the brain continues to operate at high speed.

Nevertheless, beta waves are essential for active mental work. They allow us to analyse, make good decisions and perform a critical reading of information, becoming our best allies when we need a sharp and precise focus.

Curiosities:

• At frequencies that approach the border with gamma waves (15-20Hz), states of stress and anxiety arise.
• Beta waves enhance our ability to multitask, allowing the brain to process information efficiently. However, if this state is prolonged for too long, efficiency can turn into stress, due to the constant effort required to maintain this level of activity.
• When we are having a conversation or interacting socially, beta waves are usually active. This state allows us to be aware of our surroundings and respond quickly to social cues.
• Beta waves are a fundamental part of the creative process. Although the creation of new ideas arises with alpha waves, beta waves are those that allow new ideas to be developed and interrelated with other concepts to give them meaning.
• Consumption of caffeine and other stimulants can increase beta wave activity. This can help improve concentration and alertness in the short term, but can also lead to stress overload if overused.
• An imbalance in beta waves, especially if they are excessively high, can contribute to the appearance of repetitive negative thoughts, excessive worry, and even obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Gamma waves (γ) - Very high frequency (20-100 Hz)

Gamma waves are the fastest of all brain waves and are associated with high-level information processing. These waves occur when the brain is engaged in high-level cognitive tasks, such as conscious sensory perception, learning, and memory. Gamma waves are crucial for the integration of information from different parts of the brain and are indicative of a brain in optimal functioning, particularly during intense concentration or complex problem solving.

Abnormal levels of gamma activity have been found to be associated with diseases such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's.

Curiosities:

• Gamma waves, at frequencies above 30 Hz, are associated with rapid information processing and the integration of different areas of the brain. They act as a kind of “superconnector” that links different parts of the brain to create a unified, conscious view of what we are experiencing.
• Gamma waves have been observed to be more active in people who exhibit high levels of intelligence, creativity, and focus. The brains of highly creative people or those with exceptional abilities show increased gamma wave activity.
• Gamma waves play a crucial role in memory formation, especially long-term memory. They help to link different pieces of information together, creating coherent and long-lasting memories.

Why don't I get good ideas at work but I do when I'm in the shower, when I wake up, or doing some quiet activity?

If you have read carefully so far, I hope you can now answer this question correctly :)

When you're at work, your brain typically operates primarily in beta waves, which are responsible for active concentration, analysis, and problem-solving. While these waves are crucial for cognitive tasks, they're not the most conducive to creativity. Intense mental work can lead to stress and block the free flow of ideas.

In contrast, when you're in the shower, waking up, or doing a quiet activity, your brain tends to produce more alpha waves and theta waves. Alpha waves, which predominate in a state of relaxation and calm, and theta waves, which emerge in dreamy states or light meditation, are much more conducive to creativity and the creation of new ideas or concepts. These states allow your mind to disconnect from the pressures and rigid structures of logical thinking, opening up space for unexpected connections and new ideas to emerge.

New ideas emerge in the phases in which you manage to connect with your subconscious. That is why they always appear in the shower, when you are driving quietly, taking a walk, listening to music and very often when we wake up in the morning.

Additionally, when you perform automatic tasks, such as showering or walking, your brain often enters what is called the “default mode” or “default mode network” (DMN). In this mode, your mind wanders, reflects, and explores ideas more freely, which can lead to those moments of sudden inspiration.

Deadline Mode

We’ve all been through “deadline mode” at some point. Whether it’s when an exam is coming up that we’re not quite prepared for, when we’re trying to review concepts at the last minute, or when we have to finish an urgent task at work before an impending deadline. Essentially, this mode kicks in whenever we’re faced with an intellectually demanding task with a much shorter time frame than we otherwise would need.

In this state, all of our priorities are aligned exclusively to meet the goal, leaving aside other aspects of work and even personal life. It is likely that, after managing to complete something against the clock, you have felt that “high” of having performed at your best, accompanied by the thought: “If only I could maintain this level of performance all the time…”

But the reality is that maintaining “deadline mode” for a long period of time is simply unsustainable. This mode of operation, while surprisingly effective at increasing productivity in the short term, also generates extremely high levels of fatigue, anxiety and stress. It is not uncommon to feel confused, dizzy or completely exhausted after completing the task.

What happens during “deadline mode” is that your brain operates at the highest frequencies of beta waves, known as high beta , and the beginnings of gamma waves, moving between 18 and 30 Hz. These frequencies drive intense focus and rapid response, but they also come at a high cost to your physical and mental well-being.

In the following video you can see a very funny example of how the brain performs in this high-performance mode.

 

The lie of brainstorming

As someone who has participated in many brainstorming sessions at work, I have to say that it is a powerful tool and one that usually produces great professional results when it comes to deciding as a group how to tackle a given problem.

Brainstorming is a group technique for generating creative ideas and solutions through free association and without judging or criticizing the proposals during the process. The key is to encourage the quantity and diversity of ideas in order to later evaluate them and select the most promising ones. Usually these ideas are placed on colored papers on the walls and concepts are interconnected between them.

The headline “the lie of brainstorming” refers to the misconception that this technique encourages the generation of new ideas through group dynamics, triggering creativity and innovation. However, in reality, during a brainstorming session, participants’ brains are operating primarily in beta waves, which are more suited to focusing and organizing existing ideas, not creating new ones. Innovative ideas often emerge in relaxed states associated with alpha or theta waves, where the mind is more free and creative.

So what really happens in brainstorming is that participants share and develop ideas they already had, shaping them and connecting them to other concepts to arrive at more complete solutions. This is typical of beta waves, which facilitate structure and analysis, but not pure creativity. In short, brainstorming is great for elaborating and making sense of pre-existing ideas in a group, but it is not the best technique for generating completely new ideas.

I hope you enjoyed reading it and that you know a little more about how your brain and everyone else's brain works. If you liked it, I encourage you to share this article so that it can reach more people.

Thank you for your support!