Body Doubling
Working alongside another person (physically or virtually) to help initiate and sustain focus. Common ADHD strategy — the presence of another person provides external accountability that the ADHD brain lacks internally.
Body doubling is one of the most effective ADHD productivity strategies. Simply having another person present — even if they're doing completely different work — helps the ADHD brain engage and sustain attention.
Why it works: ADHD executive function struggles include task initiation (starting things) and sustained attention. External social accountability provides the structure that internal executive function can't. It's not about the other person helping — it's about their presence activating your social cognition, which borrows executive function resources.
How to body double: work in a coffee shop, join a virtual co-working space (Focusmate, Flow Club), work in the same room as a partner/friend/colleague, or even have someone on a video call while you work. The key is the PRESENCE of another person, not interaction.
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