Everything is better when you are doing it with the right people – that, at least, is the premise behind “body doubling,” which is being touted as a fun new way to increase productivity. According to a piece published in CNN last month, body doubling is a strategy employed by people with ADHD to help them focus better and complete projects in time. However, like many other self-help strategies, it is not just for people with ADHD or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Read on to know more about body doubling.
What is body doubling?
Body doubling is a productivity strategy in which you get another person to work alongside you. The presence of another person acts as a motivator to stay on the task and get things done, say people who have employed this strategy to boost productivity.
The science behind this strategy
Focusmate, a service to pair people with body doubles, says that this strategy uses five behavioural triggers. These are: social pressure, accountability, specific task direction, task implementation and activating certain neurotransmitters through behaviour.
Body doubling also taps into our deliberate or reflexive drive to perform better when others are around, and the idea of being accountable to someone also drives productivity.
What experts say
“The idea is that the presence of another is essentially a gentle reminder to stay on task,” Billy Roberts, clinical director of Focused Mind ADHD Counseling in Ohio, told CNN. “For folks (with) ADHD whose minds tend to wander and get off task, the body double somehow works as an external motivator to stay on task.”
“Some people work better with community support and just the awareness of other people around them,” says Nordmeyer, co-founder of the Center for Living Well with ADHD-Minnesota. “You saw that a lot with the pandemic, like people learning more about the kinds of structure they needed.”
Ways of using body doubling effectively
You can use a body double for pretty much any kind of task – exercise, office work, household chores, schoolwork and more. It is not necessary for the other person to be doing the same task as you.
However, the right kind of body double is instrumental for success. Someone who will distract you from the task at hand by talking unnecessarily, for example, would not be ideal.
“It depends on the individual,” says Billy Roberts. “If it turns into a distraction more than mindfulness, accountability or behavioural support, then you just want to rework things. You can kind of tinker with things until you find what works.”
Virtual body doubling to boost productivity
Today, several online platforms have cropped up that offer co-working or body doubling services so if you don’t have someone who can work alongside you in real life, you can still avail its benefits.
These platforms include the previously-mentioned Focusmate, Flow Club and Flown.
“Our body doubling session give you a virtual community to work-alongside… A body double provides an 'anchor' for your attention, so that you're more likely to stay on task and overcome distractions,” Flown explains on its website.
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