3 Benefits of Body Doubling for Adults with ADHD

Have you ever tried body doubling?

It’s a fascinating approach to enhancing focus and productivity that’s particularly effective for ADHD brains.

Providing structure and accountability while minimizing distraction, body doubling is an effective strategy to add to your ADHD toolkit.

In episode 204 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast, we’re taking a deep dive into what body doubling is, why it works, and practical approaches to implementing it in your life.

So if you’re ready to give your productivity a boost, tune in to episode 204 now.

You can listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app here.   

Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for the entire podcast transcript. 

In This Episode, You Will Discover

• What body doubling is
• Why body doubling is especially effective for people with ADHD
• Practical approaches to implement body doubling in your life today

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Episode #204: Benefits of Body Doubling for Adults with ADHD (Transcript) 

This week, we’re talking about a game-changing strategy for so many people with ADHD brains and ADHD tendencies that is so often overlooked.

This is the practice of body doubling.

You may have heard of this term – it’s certainly growing in popularity. But I’ve found that when I talk to people on consultations and explain to them that I hold a bonus weekly body double for all my clients, it’s a term that is often quite new to people.

So today, I want to start spreading the word about what body doubling is and the remarkable impact it has even further, because I think it is incredibly powerful.

I also want to note that as you listen to what this is – or you’ve heard people talk about it before – and you’re skeptical of the idea or you doubt whether body doubling will work for you, I highly encourage you to keep an open mind and be willing to try it at least once.

From both personal experience and from witnessing so many clients really lock in their focus and get so much more work done than they usually do by using this practice, I think it’s worth a try at least once before deciding it’s not your cup of tea.

So let’s dive in and talk about it, shall we?

Now as we know all too well, living with ADHD presents plenty of obstacles when it comes to navigating our daily tasks generally, and our productivity specifically.

Some of the core symptoms of ADHD can make it hard to stay on track with our tasks – especially boring ones or emotionally charged ones.

This includes:

• Difficulty sustaining attention
• Impulsivity
• Poor short-term working memory
• Emotional dysregulation
• Hyperactivity

It’s super challenging to stick with it for long enough to follow through and check the thing off the list.

This is true with project deadlines for work, those nagging tasks around the house, personal goals we want to reach – it can really impact most areas of our lives.

So not surprisingly, it’s easy to find ourselves feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, thinking it shouldn’t be this hard and we should just get our act together as we keep beating ourselves up – hoping negative self-talk will be the solution to meet the deadline next time.

Sound familiar? Of course, it does. Because we both have ADHD brains, and I’ve totally been there, too. I know that struggle is very real.

This Is Where Body Doubling Is Helpful

Fortunately, I’ve found body doubling to be a highly effective way to help ourselves address these obstacles head-on.

Plus, you can do it immediately, and there are so many ways you can do it for free.

What’s more, for those of you who worked with your psychiatrist or doctor and found that medication doesn’t work well for you – maybe the side effects were super strong. Or for those of you who choose not to use medication, you definitely want to stay tuned because this is an incredible piece of scaffolding to build for the brain that helps powerfully reinforce focus whether you’re medicated or not.

What is Body Doubling for ADHD?

So let’s talk about the meaning of body doubling.

The concept of body doubling essentially involves having another person (or people) present – whether in-person or virtually – while you engage in a task or activity.

This person – simply by being in the same space as you acts as support by providing structure, accountability, and minimizing distractions.

It might look like:

• Two people on Facetime doing their chores around the house.
• An entire group on Zoom – mics muted – as they each work on their specific projects.
• A team at the office checks out the big conference room and works on their individual parts of what’s a large collaborative presentation for a client.

So it could be 1:1 or many people.

They don’t have to talk with you. They don’t have to understand the work you’re doing or help you do it (though they can).

Instead, the most important thing is that there’s at least one other person sharing your space virtually or in person. And the simple act of having that body double there can help create an environment that fosters stronger focus, productivity, and follow through.

In today’s podcast, we’ll explore the power of body doubling specifically for those of us with ADHD and ADHD tendencies.

We’ll talk about:

• The mechanisms behind how body doubling works and why it can be so impactful.
• Examples and practical ways you can implement body doubling in different areas of life.
  • At work or during study sessions.
  • Tackling those nagging tasks around the house or working on personal projects
  • Working toward a challenging goal

You can adapt body doubling to suit the different situations in your life.

I’m telling you, I’ve seen for both myself and my clients that by incorporating body doubling regularly into your life, you can experience a significant boost in your ability to maintain focus, minimize distractions, and follow through on what actually matters to you.

Why does Body Doubling work for ADHD?

So we know what body doubling is…but why does it work?

You see, it’s so much more than simply having someone else present. Body doubling essentially leverages the psychological aspects of accountability and the influence of social context.

What do I mean by that? I’ll explain broadly first, and then we’ll get into specifics.

When we think about body doubling, and another person is present, our brain acknowledges on some level that we want to stay focused since that’s what we said we’d do.

This desire to stay focused helps generate the motivation to stay on track and stick with it longer than if we were isolated on our own with the many alluring distractions both in our personal space AND across the entire internet.

Simply knowing that someone else is there and can see us working creates that sense of responsibility.

This prompts the brain to stay on track a bit longer.

Body Doubling & Indirect Support

In fact, I’m willing to bet you’ve experienced the power of body doubling without intentionally engaging in it.

Think back to a time when you were more productive while studying with a friend in school or working in a library. Maybe you’ve had a working lunch, and your coworkers had their laptops opened next to yours as you were working.

I’ve even noticed this when I’ve been on an airplane. If I have my computer open and a document pulled up, and someone else is working next to me, I’m much less likely to pull up iMessage and chat with people. Instead, I keep the doc in full screen.

In these situations, having the presence of others engaged in similar tasks – even if they’re not working directly with you – can have a really profound impact on your own focus and productivity.

It’s that gentle reminder for the brain that others are also working, so when the gets distracted and you look up with a new idea in your mind, seeing everyone else around the conference table working helps you remember to write that idea down so you don’t forget about it and get back to doing the work you’re meant to focus on at that time.

Body Doubling & Direct Support

Coming from a slightly different angle, you might also have a body double whom you do engage with, and they might provide a more directly supportive presence.

They might offer encouragement, they can remind you of important deadlines, and they may even offer to help out when needed.

This body double approach that I just described is something that my VA will do with me at times.

When I was in the midst of closing on the house moving, and doing the 3-day training all in one week, I had reached out to her asking, “can we just hop on a call so I can download all the things I need to get done and we work through making the plan together? I need you to help me stay on track so I don’t go down rabbit holes.”

And she did because she’s awesome. And as we talked through things, she helped me identify the different deadlines and identify what was plans were reasonable in the time frame I had vs. what was in Paula’s world of fantasy time.

Now, could I have done that myself? Sure. But it would have drained my executive functions SO MUCH FASTER, and I wouldn’t have been nearly as focused or productive throughout.

By knowing that body doubling works for me and implementing it when I needed it, it made such a big difference. Again, I’ll give more examples in just a bit, but I wanted to highlight the difference between direct and indirect support with body doubling.

For both instances – whether the person is actively participating in the task or project with you, or they’re simply engaging in similar tasks – the mere fact that someone is there to witness your progress can help you stay accountable to yourself.

I’ve found time and time again that this sense of shared responsibility for showing up and doing the work can help create a stronger commitment to completing whatever task or project is on your list.

The Benefits of Body Doubling When You Have ADHD

1. Social Accountability: 

As I alluded to earlier, having someone present as a body double creates a sense of social accountability that can really benefit our ADHD brains. Let’s dive into this further now. Why is this so helpful, specifically?

When we have another person around as we work, we tend to feel that heightened sense of responsibility to stay on track and complete our tasks because part of our brain is thinking some version of, “other people can see what I’m doing. They think I’m working, so I want to make sure I am.”

When our brain is thinking thoughts like that, and we’re feeling that pull to stay focused, it can help us ignore our distractions a bit easier, move though any procrastination a bit faster, and help us curb that tendency to veer off task less.

Examples

Imagine you have a body double at a co-working space.

The fact that your coworker is aware of your project deadlines and tasks might help you feel more responsible because you’re thinking to yourself something like, “I want to be able to share my progress at the end of this working block. I want to meet the expectations I set for myself at the beginning of the day.”

When you’re feeling that sense of commitment to the work, you are generally more likely to stay focused on and dedicated to your work, rather than letting those two hours slip into the abyss that is Tik Tok.

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Plus, depending on the level of interaction and discussion feels supportive for you, having the social accountability can also help foster collaboration.

The people involved can provide support and encouragement to each other, and the body double becomes almost a partner in productivity by offering encouragement, constructive feedback, and assistance if it’s needed.

When I was in undergrad, this was a big one when I studied with friends. We would hold each other accountable for completing assignments and staying on track with the study schedule we created.

I’ve seen this approach also work for myself and others when working toward goals in accountability groups. Building a business and moving forward on the business plan you created one step at a time.

In fitness goals – maybe you and a friend are trying to lift heavier weights, and you’re holding one another accountable in that way.

By setting up that co-working time so you have dedicated time to work on whatever project or task it is you want to do, and by checking in regularly either at the beginning or the end (or even in the middle) to share progress and explore any roadblocks in the way, everyone benefits from the support.

2. Minimize Distractions:

Another specific reason why body doubling is so impactful for our brains is that it can help minimize distractions when it’s planned with intention. Again, it’s no secret that distractions can be particularly detrimental to an ADHD brain since they can easily derail our focus.

By bringing in a body double, we help sidestep those distractions by intentionally creating a more structured environment that’s supportive of concentration and getting work done.

When you have a body double present, their mere presence serves as a reminder to stay on task and record the brilliant ideas that pop in your mind onto a notepad that you can tend to later.

I find this is especially beneficial in settings where external distractions are a bigger challenge.

Examples

Maybe you work in a busy office with an open office plan, or you work at home with family members or roommates to often interrupt your focus time. By having a body double set up, you essentially establish boundaries for yourself and others that this time is not to be interrupted. There’s another person involved.

Let’s say you work from home and set up a body double with a co worker.

Perhaps you both agree to have this online workspace that honors some rules for focus:

• Turning off notifications on phones
• Avoiding non-work-related discussions during the work hours.

During the breaks, you can chat or check your phone or whatever.

Again, when you have others on board agreeing to the plan, it helps minimize the temptation to quickly check that text or see who emailed you and instead stay focused on the task at hand.

3. Enhanced Focus:

Finally, one of the core benefits of body doubling for ADHD brains is how it helps us enhance our focus and attention span.

The social aspect of body doubling taps into our innate need for shared engagement. We want to be part of the group. We want to fit in. Body doubling helps us do that by encouraging our brains to engage in a similar way as our body double while reinforcing our ability to concentrate on tasks.

When you see your body double actively engaged in the same task or activity, it creates this natural inclination to join in and stay focused.

This is what I see time and time again when I host my body double sessions each Tuesday for my clients.

People often tell me that simply seeing others diligently working inspires them to stay on task and resist the urge of distractions.

Plus, we all know we’re there together, doing the hard thing, which provides that additional boost of encouragement and support because we’re all in it together.

I know for myself that having others on the Zoom call really helps me stay in the zone, maintain my flow state, and experience a heightened level of concentration where it’s so much easier to ignore distractions.

So again, body doubling can help in so many ways.

Body doubling Is Helpful For Everyone

Before we dive into specific approaches, I also want to mention that while body doubling is particularly effective for our ADHD brains, it’s also incredibly beneficial for neurotypical (non-ADHD) brains, too.

I know some of my clients didn’t think they could do body doubling outside of our Tuesday body double call because they didn’t know of anyone else with ADHD to ask.

And when I suggested asking ANYONE, they shared they were worried about asking a friend who was working toward a similar goal as them to body double or were hesitant to ask a co-worker if they wanted to stay in the conference room after a meeting to work on their respective parts of a presentation.

They were worried that it wouldn’t be helpful to the other person and instead a waste of time.

So if your brain ever offers a similar concern, let me pause it right now, because body doubling’s benefits extend far beyond ADHD brains.

Many people can benefit from having accountability, from minimizing distractions, and from enhancing their focus by setting aside intentional time to work on something.

Just like elevators are required in public buildings to support people with physical disabilities, but everybody benefits from them. The same is true with using a body double. It may be even more helpful for you, but others without ADHD can certainly benefit from the approach.

So don’t let your brain convince you that you shouldn’t ask someone unless they have ADHD, because that’s just not true.

Now, I’m not saying everyone will jump at the offer. But that’s also true for ADHD brains.

It can totally sound like a weird thing at first. “Hey, want to hop on Zoom and work together in silence?” But if you have a good relationship with the person, I think you’d be surprised by their willingness to give it a try – especially if you share with them the benefits that come along with it. Heck, you could share this episode with them.

Implementing body doubling in different areas of life

So what are some specific examples? Where might you implement body doubling in different areas of your life?

As I’ve already mentioned with some of my earlier examples, work or school are both powerful places to use this scaffolding. Using body doubles in either scenario can help you stay focused on important tasks and deadlines, so you’re not racing the clock or pulling all-nighters nearly as often.

So how do we do this?

Ask A Colleague Or Study Partner

Well, the most straightforward approach could simply be asking a colleague or a study partner to be your body double. You can talk through what you’d want that to look like and then put a container of time around it and treat it as an experiment.

For example, Would you want to try getting together to work on whatever the big project is for the quarter every Tuesday and Thursday after lunch for a few hours? We could check out one of the conference rooms, turn off all our notifications, and work for 2 hours each day.

If you’re open to it, I’d love to share an up update about what we want to focus on at the beginning, and how things went at the end. We could try it for a quarter and see what we think.

Since I know there are a lot of graduate students and those returning to school who listen to this podcast, you could create a study schedule and designate specific topics you’ll each focus on to lead the study session and then work together each week for some agreed upon time to keep one another accountable and on track.

Again, make sure the other person is game and excited to do this, too. Otherwise, it can feel like you’re pulling the other person along.

But when I think about the work of Gretchen Rubin and her Four Tendencies so many of us – ADHD or not – thrive with outer accountability, so if one person isn’t super stoked about the idea, I’m sure you can find another person who is.

Use A Body Doubling For Tasks Around the House

You might also use body doubles to help with cleaning or adulting tasks around the house.

I was talking with a client who mentioned she had her sister come over to hang out and chat as she decluttered her hall closet. My client knew she wanted to get it done and would likely put it off or have to force herself to do it if it was just her. But by asking her sister to come hang out, it made things so much easier.

If she ever got stuck, her sister would ask, “does it work? Does it fit? Would you buy it again?”

This helped her make decisions of what to throw, donate, and keep, and she got through the closet in less than 2 hours – plus she had a fun time catching up with her sister.

As I think many of you might agree, household tasks can often make our brains spin in overwhelm, which then quickly slips procrastination or distracting ourselves with anything and everything BUT the task at hand.

By body doubling, you can help stay on top of the tasks.

I’ve had clients use the Tuesday body double time to fold laundry and wash dishes. I used it recently when I was packing boxes for the move.

Again having other people working alongside you – either in person or virtually – can help you get started on the task and stay focused on it all the way through without getting derailed by the many other chores and tasks that on your list that are ready and willing to distract at a moment’s notice.

Personal Projects

You may also find it helpful to use body doubling when working on personal projects, hobbies, or goals. Again, having a trusted friend or someone with similar interests promotes a collaborative environment for both accountability and shared engagement.

For example, if you’re writing a book, or building a website, or learning a new skill, or training for a marathon, reaching out to someone who has a genuine interest in the topic or is pursuing a similar goal can be really impactful.

Together, you can establish a schedule, set specific milestones, and break down the tasks into manageable steps.

By working side by side you can:

• Move through the steps and incorporate those regular check-ins
• Review your progress
• Discuss strategies
• Make adjustments as needed

Body Doubling and ADHD: Recap

So again, there are so many incredible benefits to using a body double, and just as many ways that you can approach the process. Whether it’s in person or virtual, body doubling helps those of us with ADHD stay focused and significantly boost our productivity.

Leveraging the benefits of social accountability, minimizing distractions, and social engagement, body doubling can help many of us can dive in and make things happen with much less force and willpower.

So, if you haven’t given it a try yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

For those of you interested in joining one of the cohorts of We’re Busy Being Awesome or working with me privately, we already have that built into our weekly schedule.

So if you’re ready to learn even more ways to work you’re your ADHD brain in a way that’s supportive for YOU, I’d love to have you join us. You can learn more about We’re Busy Being Awesome here.

Alright, my friends, that’s going to do it for us this week. And if you’re ready to take these concepts deeper and apply them to your life. If you’re ready to learn how to support your ADHD in a way that works for YOU, then I invite you to check out today’s show notes or head to imbusybeingawesome.com/group to learn more and sign up for my small group coaching program, We’re Busy Being Awesome.

Also, have you grabbed the podcast roadmap yet? It has the most popular episodes all detailed for you so you can get yourself up to speed and ready to work with your ADHD brain, you can grab it here.