I was obsessed with playing games and mostly FIFA from EA, I was very fond of and was playing every version of it. Once, I played continuously 24 hours to complete a career mode. Whenever I play, I was setting gameplay timings per half time for 20 minutes. That is the maximum time anybody can set for half time in FIFA games. I was wondering why it is 20 not 30 to play or why can’t that be 45 mins itself?
Let me take you to another example of 20-mins time. Recently, I started to meditate every day consistently. It has been 40 days since I started. Every day I try to do more and more but every session is not there longer than 20mins. That is the maximum time per session. (I am using Headspace app to be mindful)
One more instance is that I read many articles and productivity books, they say, to take a 20 min power nap in the afternoon. This leads to an increase in the productivity of the mind.
There are a lot of instances where we find 20 mins as the baseline for so many activities. We set our timers to get things done. It is very important to know, why always 20 mins is the baseline? What happens if it is 10 or 30?
I got this question when I was meditating and set the session to 20mins. Why it is 20? Why can’t I extend the session more than that? Is there any particular reason for experts to choose 20?
I went on to research the fact about how it works. There is a correlation between our mind and the body. Our mind has 5 different type of waves that works under different frequencies. Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma all these frequencies, has its own voice and mental state. When we wake up or commit to work, our mind generates a frequency and from changing one state of frequency to another it takes 20 mins — we call this time as Goldilocks time. This is not so short like 10 mins to work on something or not so long as 30 mins to spend on it.
When we wake up every day in the morning, our mind will be locked to 20 mins of alpha mode. Our brain works between 8Hz and 12Hz of frequency. This range is the gateway to our subconscious mind. Because theta waves are the ones that work in the subconscious mind and Beta works from 12Hz to 40Hz. Since alpha is between Theta and Beta, this range is called the gateway to the subconscious.
The common way to enter the gateway of the subconscious, is that 20mins which we are focussed to complete the task. This would be the time as soon as we are awake. We all know the power of our subconscious mind. It unlocks the infinite possibility and provides us the energy to do anything. The 20 mins what we plan to start the day, helps us to be productive because we communicated at the start of the day with our inner mind. Subconscious is the automatic mind and independent of our physical senses. It just keeps doing the task that it has been assigned.
The reason that doctors suggest we sleep for 20mins in the afternoon time is this. In that power nap of 20 mins, our mind will drop from Gamma state (Works at the frequency between 40Hz and 100Hz) to alpha upon deep sleep. As soon as we wake up, it will still be operating in the alpha stage for the next 20mins. By this, we can give orders to our inner subconscious mind to work better and stay focused on the things to be done.
Our style of work will become versatile upon the power nap that we take in between working hours. What if, we sleep more than 20mins? I searched for that process as well. When we sleep for more than 20mins, our mind drops to the subconscious level and further, it goes down to the delta stage (0Hz to 4Hz) which is the reason for deep relaxation. When we awake from that stage, our mind starts to work on the gamma stage by producing more adrenaline. When that transition happens, our brain becomes more disturbed and less focussed. Consider when you are moving on a train at the speed of 10KM/hr and suddenly it is accelerated to 200KM/hr, you will get disturbed and start to assume a lot of things. You don’t think straight. The same thing happens to our mind when we are awakened from the delta/theta stage to gamma.
This is where the 20min intervals help our daily activities and that is the reason it is always 20mins. Our brain is designed to transition from one stage to another in 20mins.
While meditation, the brain goes to the alpha stage from the gamma stage by opening a gateway to our subconscious mind. In there we can repair all the damages that have been done to our overall mind.
Try this: Whenever you wake up, try to set up goals for the day and don’t look at any digital equipments. Just take a deep breath and set up some goals and move on with the day. Within a day of two you will observe the change of productivity that happens at work for you.
