2026-10-13

Body doubling 101

Body doubling = doing focused work in the presence of another person, IRL or on a call.

Why it works

Gentle social accountability plus a cue that it’s work time. Many ADHD folks report it’s the difference between starting and staring.

Try it

• A silent video call with a friend, cameras on, 50 minutes.
• Library or cafe sessions.
• Virtual coworking rooms.

State the task out loud at the start. Check in at the end. That’s it.

It works best when you know what you’re sitting down to do. A quick 2-minute triage picks the task, a flexible time block gives the session a home on your calendar, and a nerfed phone keeps it from getting hijacked.