Key Takeaways
- Body doubling is a strategy used by people with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to improve focus, motivation, and accountability.
- The idea is to choose someone to stay with you — in person or virtually — while you work on a specific task. Your body double may also be working on something, but it doesn’t have to be related.
- Although body doubling is effective, people with ADHD may need additional support to manage symptoms, improve productivity, and enhance overall well-being.
Many people struggle to focus at work, school, or on tasks they find repetitive or boring. One U.K. study found that 50% of people think their attention span is shorter than it used to be — and they may be right. A recent estimate suggests the average attention span is 47 seconds, down from two and a half minutes in 2004. If you’re one of these people and looking for a solution, you might have heard of “body doubling” for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Body doubling may sound like something done by a Hollywood stunt performer, but it’s actually a technique used to improve focus and productivity. Anyone can benefit from body doubling, but it’s particularly effective for people with ADHD.
What’s body doubling?
Body doubling involves working on a task alongside someone else — either in person or virtually. For example, you might ask your partner to sit with you while you pay your bills, or FaceTime a friend while you fold laundry. This person doesn’t need to help you with the task or even be working on a related project. Instead, their role is to help keep you focused, motivated, and accountable.
This may sound simple, but it can be a valuable strategy for improving focus and motivation in people with ADHD. As a neurodevelopmental condition, ADHD can cause executive-functioning challenges related to focus, impulsivity, and behavioral regulation. Adults with unmanaged ADHD often have trouble prioritizing tasks or completing one project before starting a new one. They may have a tendency to procrastinate or become easily distracted by unrelated thoughts or events.
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The benefits of another’s presence
Body doubling is a great way to feel connected and supported. It can improve focus at work or school, encourage you to adopt healthier lifestyle habits, and provide structure for tackling important tasks, like doing chores and paying bills. It can even help people with ADHD feel less isolated by their symptoms.
Other benefits of body doubling for people with ADHD include an increase in:
- Accountability: People with ADHD often have a hard time completing tasks they find boring, repetitive, or uninteresting. Working with a body double may not change how you feel about these tasks, but it can keep you more accountable for completing them.
- Time management: Another benefit of body doubling is better time-management skills. Scheduling a block of time to work on a prioritized task can help increase productivity and minimize ADHD paralysis, which is when you feel overwhelmed or stuck, making it hard to start or finish tasks.
- Motivation: Body doubling may lead to ADHD mirroring, which is when someone with ADHD unconsciously copies another person’s behaviors. ADHD mirroring isn’t always a good thing, but it can encourage you to focus when your body double does.
- Productivity: By increasing accountability and reducing your chances of procrastination, body doubling can increase productivity and help you meet your goals.
Despite the many benefits of body doubling, it has some potential downsides to consider. Body doubling is intended to help improve focus, but it can also be distracting — especially if your body double is overly talkative or struggles with focus themself. And if body doubling is too effective, you might find yourself relying too heavily on it.
If you think that body doubling is helping you manage undiagnosed ADHD, consider meeting with a mental health professional to understand your symptoms and learn how to improve your daily functioning.
How to use a body double
Body doubling is a simple concept, but it’s important to carefully choose the person (or people) to be your double. Start by reviewing your support network, like friends, family, and coworkers. You want someone who’s patient, understanding, and available to help you reach your goals.
You might even want different people when working on different tasks. For example, if you’re trying to exercise more after work, call a friend while taking a walk around your neighborhood. If you’re struggling to complete your homework, consider joining a study group or asking a family member to sit with you while you work on assignments.
Once you find your body double, a few tips can help you make the most of your experience:
- Create a specific goal. It’s best to set a specific goal for your time with your body double. Whether it’s writing thank-you notes or answering emails, having a specific task in mind can help you stay focused and motivated.
- Minimize distractions. Body doubles are intended to improve concentration, so remember to remove all possible distractions. For example, put your phone away or on “do not disturb” mode.
- Evaluate the experience. After your session, take some time to reflect on your experience. Did you achieve your goal? Was your body double a calming presence, or did you find them distracting?
Body doubling is just one of several strategies that can help improve focus for people with ADHD. You may also want to experiment with creating a daily focus list or using the 1-3-5 approach — a method where you plan one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks to tackle each day.
In some cases, it’s best to seek professional support. If ADHD symptoms are impacting your confidence, productivity, or overall well-being, consider working with a therapist who understands how to manage productivity challenges in ADHD.
When choosing a body double, you should choose someone who helps you feel calm, focused, and supported. It’s not about them keeping you on track but about creating the right environment to help you stay focused.
Find care with Rula
It’s hard to feel productive when you struggle to start a task in the first place. If your ADHD symptoms are affecting your ability to focus and succeed, consider body doubling to help keep you accountable. Body doubling may not work for everyone, but it’s one strategy therapists may suggest to help you manage your ADHD symptoms.
At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best.
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About the author
Alex Bachert
Alex Bachert is a freelance copywriter and mental health advocate. Since earning her masters degree in public health, she has focused her career on creating informative content that empowers people to prioritize their health and well-being. Alex has partnered with organizations like Ro, WellTheory, and Firsthand, and her work has been recognized by the Digital Health Association.
When she’s not writing about mental health, Alex is usually playing pickleball, meeting with her local board of health, or enjoying time with her three kids.
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