How Body Doubling Helps Remote Workers with ADHD
Source: ChatGPT
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post extolling the benefits of flexible (i.e. remote or hybrid) work for neurodiverse individuals. But while I still consider going mainly remote back in 2020 one of the best things I ever did for my career, it’s hardly been a panacea. Some of the things I struggle with as a person with ADHD, notably procrastination, remain an issue as a remote worker, and while AI tools and the ability to set my own schedule have helped, I’m far from cured from it.
Remote work, for all its many benefits, is still a solitary undertaking and this can sometimes be a problem, particularly if you’re like me and you struggle with getting started with projects. This is where strategically enlisting the help of others who can assist by merely being around you helps. Psychologists call this “body doubling.” I think of it as recruiting a silent cheerleader whose mere presence becomes a stabilizing force.
The Science Behind Body Doubling
Body doubling involves doing a task alongside another person—even if they aren’t actively helping—either physically or virtually, with the mere presence of someone nearby provides structured accountability and focus.
How exactly does this work psychologically on ADHD brains? This is what the psychological sciences have to say about it.
Body doubling boosts motivation and reduces procrastination: Many people with ADHD report that having someone visible while working helps them start and maintain a task, tapping into external motivation and gentle pressure (myndlift.com, verywellhealth.com).
It enhances focus through accountability: The awareness that another person is observing—even passively—can help individuals stay on track by reducing distractions and increasing commitment (newportinstitute.com).
It provides emotional and community support: For some (and definitely for me), body doubling reduces isolation and anxiety, creating a sense of support without direct intervention (myndlift.com, medicalnewstoday.com).
There may be neurobiological benefits: While direct studies are limited, some suggest that structured social presence may increase dopamine regulation, a key issue for people with ADHD, helping sustain attention and task execution (en.wikipedia.org, verywellhealth.com).
Like anything else, it’s not a perfect solution and has its potential drawbacks. The most obvious drawback is if your body double is a good friend or life partner and somebody you enjoy talking to, there’s the risk of being derailed by distraction—the exact opposite result from what you’re looking for in this. Additionally, ADHD folk are prone to feelings of shame and in cases where the body doubling isn’t working and the work still isn’t happening, the inner self-flagellation can be even worse when another person is present.
That said, body doubling is, on the whole, a low-risk, high-reward strategy for people with ADHD. While rigourous scientific evidence is still developing, abundant anecdotal support and small-scale studies endorse its value. If you're struggling with focus or starting tasks, pairing up—physically or virtually—for even a short session could make a real difference.
Turns Out I’ve Been Doing This My Whole Life
While I first learned the term “body doubling” post-diagnosis firmly in middle age, the concept wasn’t unknown to me. For example, I’ve always known that I work very well in coffee shops. I had always assumed it was something about the calming background noise and comfortable familiarity of these places that soothed my nerves. But I later realized there’s more to it than that. There’s a power in being witnessed in your work, even if it’s by complete strangers.
I do the same thing at home as well. My wife, who is a professional musician, is often working at our grand piano in the living room. And for a change of scenery from my solitary home office, I often like to relocate to the kitchen table, especially when she’s practicing. Yes, there’s something meditative about her scales and arpeggios as well as snippets of opera and musical theatre, but it’s also the fact that she knows I’m there and is witnessing my work process.
It even goes back further than this. As a kid, I always struggled to get started on homework at the desk in my bedroom but would have much less trouble at the kitchen table. My parents were often perplexed as to why I preferred to be at the kitchen table, with all the household buzz around me, than tucked away in my room. I still have fond memories of being a high schooler studying for my provincial exams at the kitchen table, cup of tea in hand, as my parents prepared dinner around me and discussed grown-up stuff. It just worked better.
Turns out I’ve been using this body doubling strategy my whole life. I just didn’t realize that’s what I was doing.
What I Do These Days
When I have to start a project, especially something large and daunting (like the one I’m procrastinating on starting by writing this blog post), I do what I need to do to enlist psychological support. This might mean relocating to a coffee shop or the public library or setting up shop at the kitchen table adjacent to my wife. These days, though, it often involves getting on Zoom with a colleague and simply letting the meeting run silently while we both work.
Remote co-working of this nature is a particularly potent form of body doubling, in my experience. There’s something about teaming up with another person, often someone who struggles with the same sort of fear-based procrastination as I do, and working together on our respective projects. The solidarity can be palpable in settings like this and I’m fortunate to now have neurodiverse professional colleagues who also see the benefit in this.
I’ve also been known to get together in person with colleagues, usually at a coffee shop or library, for the same purpose, although this happens less frequently as it’s more logistically challenging and time consuming to get out to wherever we’re meeting. But if it’s the coffee shop vibe you want but you can’t get to a coffee shop, there’s no shortage of coffee shop ambience recordings on YouTube that you can put on during a Zoom meeting to set the tone.
So Why Not Just Work in the Office?
If you’ve made it this far in this blog post, you may be thinking that I’m contradicting myself from two weeks ago when I wrote about remote work being good for ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence. I’m not. I’m still a firm believer in flexibility in the workplace and that hybrid and remote workplaces are ideal for brains like mine. It’s just that nothing is perfect and that working solo—especially when you have ADHD—has its drawbacks.
So what’s the difference between body doubling and simply doing the traditional office work thing? I think choice is the main difference. While there are many occasions when I want other people in my orbit, but many other occasions when I definitely don’t, particularly when what I’m doing is highly creative brain work that I want to get fully absorbed in with no distractions. In a traditional office, you’re made to be around others. In hybrid or remote settings, it’s a choice.
In a traditional office, there’s implicit peer pressure. Pressure to engage in water cooler banter. Pressure to sit at the lunch table with everyone else and talk about the weekend. Pressure to be something other than silently absorbed in your work. With body doubling, there’s no such pressure. That’s not to say that I’m opposed to hybrid work, to sometimes being in an office with others. In fact, there are times when I enjoy it. I just can’t do it all the time.
As a remote worker, I can choose whether or not to be around other people while I work and that element of choice is what makes all the difference for me. And I don’t think you need to have an ADHD brain to appreciate this. In my experience, everybody occasionally struggles with procrastination and lethargy in their work and can benefit from body doubling. At the same time, we all feel the need to shut out the outside world at times. And I believe we’re all entitled to that.
How to Get Started with Body Doubling
Some of what I suggest here is available to anyone. If you live in a city or a town with coffee shops or public libraries, you can always set up shop there. If you live with another person, you can often work in proximity to them, although this is conditional on their being involved in focused work-like activity like you. If you live alone, probably the coffee shop or library solution is going to be a key element in your work life.
But not everyone is fortunate enough to have like-minded colleagues with whom they can get on a Zoom call and just work in silence. Fortunately, there are now a lot of options for people looking for accountability partners and moral support in their work. These include:
1. Focusmate
Focusmate is an online platform for people looking for one-on-one virtual body doubling through scheduled video sessions. It provides a limited number of free sessions, while paid plans unlock more sessions. This platform is highly effective for ADHD brains thanks to its structured pre-commitment setup.
2. Flow Club
Flow Club hosts group-based coworking sessions with ADHD-aware hosts at a cost of US$40 a month, with a choice of video on/off, check-in routines, and ambient music. The vast majority of its users (94%) report feeling more productive with this platform.
3. Deepwrk
Deepwrk is a highly gamified virtual coworking platform that features progress tracking, milestones, and badges—all tailored to ADHD adults. The platform provides host-led group sessions designed to enhance focus and instill accountability. Cost is variable.
4. Cofocus
Reddit users on the /ADHD sub also recommend Cofocus, which offers no-frills 1-to-1 body doubling sessions at a low monthly cost.
5. Flown
Flown offers virtual coworking with structured 1- or 2-hour sessions and silent drop-in rooms at US$25 a month.
Need a Body Double? Let Me Know!
I’m always eager to connect with neurodiverse professionals and others who share my interests. If you read my blog and like what you read, please hit me up here through my Contact Me page or on LinkedIn. Unlike the aforementioned resources, I’m free (at least as a body double) and low commitment. I’d love to hear from you!
