What is body doubling?
Body doubling means doing a task while someone else is present, in person or on a video call. The other person doesn’t help with the task; they’re simply there, usually working on something of their own. The term is popular in ADHD communities, where many people find it makes boring or avoided tasks easier to start and finish.
Why it may help
Section titled “Why it may help”Formal research on body doubling itself is limited, so most of the evidence is what people report. It does fit known ideas:
- Social facilitation: people often perform simple, familiar tasks better when others are present.
- A fixed start time: agreeing to work at ten turns a vague intention into a plan.
- Less drifting: it’s a little harder to start scrolling with someone there.
How to try it
Section titled “How to try it”- Pick a task you know how to do but keep avoiding.
- Find a double: a friend, colleague or an online focus session.
- Agree a start and an end, and say your goal out loud.
- Work quietly, then say what you got done.
It doesn’t suit everyone: some people find company distracting for deep work. Try it a few times before deciding.
Read more in our guide Body doubling for ADHD.
In Thendoo: plan sessions as time blocks on Today, and use a focus session with a “Right now, just this” first step during them.