Body doubling: what it is and how to try it

What body doubling is

You sit down to do the thing you've been avoiding, and someone else is there too, in the room or on a video call. They might be working on their own thing, or just keeping you company. You're not being supervised. You just aren't alone with it.

Why it helps

Research on body doubling is still early, so it's fairer to say why people with ADHD report it helps than to claim it's proven:

• Starting stops being a decision. The call is booked, so you begin.
• A little accountability. It's harder to drift to your phone when someone can see you.
• It takes the dread out. Tasks that felt huge shrink once you're doing them with someone.
• It anchors time. A fixed start and finish helps with time blindness.

How to try it

• Ask a friend. Book an hour on video. Say what you'll each work on at the start, and what you got done at the end.
• Work alongside someone in person. A café, a library or a friend's kitchen table.
• Use a co-working site. There are services that match you with a stranger for a silent working session.
• Book it with a coach. Useful for the jobs you've been avoiding the longest, where a little gentle pressure helps.

Tips that make it work

• Say out loud what you're going to do in the first minute.
• Keep sessions short: 25 to 60 minutes.
• Pick one task, not a list.
• Report back at the end, even if you only did half.

How I use it

Body doubling is included in my monthly support: an hour a month where we get on a call and I stay on the line while you do the job you've been putting off.

More guides

• ADHD coaching in the UK: what it is and what it costs
• ADHD coach vs therapist vs counsellor: which do you need?
• Running a business with ADHD: what goes wrong and what helps
• ADHD overwhelm and burnout: signs and what helps