What Is Body Doubling? How Working Alongside Someone Helps You Focus

Body doubling is a simple idea: you do a task while another person is present. The other person, the body double, isn't there to help with the task or to watch over you. They are simply there, often doing their own work.

Why people use it

Many people find that a task they keep postponing becomes easier to start when someone else is in the room. The technique is especially popular in ADHD communities, where people describe it as a way to get going on boring or overwhelming tasks. You don't need a diagnosis to try it.

Body doubling is a productivity technique. It isn't a medical treatment, and it isn't a replacement for professional support.

What you can use it for

• Studying and writing
• Email, paperwork and bills
• Cleaning and decluttering
• Job applications
• Creative projects

How to try it

With someone you know. Ask a friend or housemate to sit with you while you both work.

In a shared space. Libraries and cafés give you people around you, without anyone you know.

With a pal on Palhour. Book a body double for a set time, online or in person. Agree the rules first: silence, a check-in at the start, or encouragement when you ask for it.

Tips for a good session

• Pick one task and say it out loud at the start.
• Keep sessions short at first: 30 to 60 minutes.
• Decide in advance how much you want to talk.
• End with a quick check-in on what you finished.