Body Doubling

Ever notice how you can somehow do tasks when someone else is around, even if they’re not helping? Like how you’ll finally tackle that pile of laundry when your friend comes over, or how you can focus on work when sitting in a coffee shop? That’s basically body doubling — and it’s a game-changer for many neurodivergent folks.

Body doubling is exactly what it sounds like: having another person present (either physically or virtually) while you do a task. They don’t need to watch you, help you, or even talk to you. They just need to exist in your space while you get stuff done.

For those of us with ADHD brains especially, the hardest part of any task is often just starting it. Having someone around can somehow make your brain go “Oh, we’re doing things now” instead of getting stuck in that awful limbo of wanting to start but not being able to.

Why does this work?

• Gentle accountability — Not like someone’s policing you, just the awareness that you’re not completely alone with your procrastination
• Breaking the isolation — Tasks feel less overwhelming when you’re not staring them down solo
• Structure without pressure — Having another person there creates a framework without anyone having to be the boss
• Making it feel “real” — Sometimes having a witness makes tasks feel more important and doable

People body double for everything: work projects, cleaning, studying, paying bills, even phone calls they’ve been avoiding. Some folks do it in person with friends or family. Others hop on virtual co-working sessions or video calls where everyone just works quietly together.

The magic ingredient? The feeling that you’re not in this alone, even if you’re each doing your own completely different thing.