ADHD and Body Doubling: Strategies that Help ADHD Brains Focus

You finally sit down to sort through your inbox…and end up scrolling on your phone instead. The dishes have been soaking in the sink all day, but for some reason you’re still waiting for the right moment to scrub them.

Then someone walks into the room…maybe it’s a friend, a partner, or a co-worker, and suddenly you’re doing it! There wasn’t a pep talk, no planning involved, you just find yourself being productive - out of the blue.

Does this sound familiar?

There’s a name for it. And yes, there’s some actual science to prove why it helps.

It’s called body doubling, and it’s a strategy that many people with ADHD use in order to get things done, especially when the process of just getting started feels completely impossible.

Whether it's silent co-working, tidying up around the house with a friend, or even logging into an online focus session with complete strangers, something in our brain shifts when we don’t have to do things alone.

So, what is body doubling, and why can it have such a significant impact? Let’s take a closer look.

What You’ll Learn in This Article

If you’ve heard the term “body doubling” but aren’t quite sure what it means, or how you can use it in your own life, you’ve come to the right place.

Today, we are going to take a look at:

What body doubling actually is (and what it isn’t)
Why it works so well for many people with ADHD
Real-world examples of how to set up your own body doubling sessions
When it’s most helpful (and when it might not be so helpful afterall)
The science behind this technique
Tips to help you get started

What Is Body Doubling?

Body doubling is when you perform a task alongside someone else, either in the same room or virtually, to help yourself stay focused and on track. You don’t need to speak to one another, work on the same thing, or even interact much at all. Just having another person around can make it easier to begin a task and stick with what you’re doing.

The term “body doubling” was first recognised by ADHD coach Linda Anderson in 1996. She noticed that many of her clients found it much easier to get things done when someone else was nearby.

So, what does body doubling mean? It might look like:

Sitting next to a friend while you both get things done
Joining a silent Zoom co-working session
Working from a café where others are also focused on their own tasks

It’s important to understand that body doubling for ADHD isn’t any kind of formal treatment or therapy. It’s just a technique that creates some gentle structure and motivation through shared presence.

Many people use ADHD body doubling to help them with tasks that are hard to start or finish on their own. It’s an easy technique to try out that can often make a really big difference, especially when your motivation is low or your mind is feeling a bit scattered.

That’s the body doubling definition - doing things side by side with others, to make tasks feel more manageable.

Why Body Doubling Works for ADHD Brains

If you live with ADHD, you are probably all too familiar with the difficulty that sometimes comes with starting a new task - even if it’s something simple. This isn’t laziness. It actually has to do with the way ADHD impacts things like motivation, task initiation, and the process of shifting between activities.

In the ADHD brain, the dopamine system (which helps regulate motivation and reward) is often underactive. This means that it can sometimes be difficult to feel a sense of urgency or satisfaction from finishing routine tasks, especially if they’re boring, repetitive, or don’t give you any kind of immediate reward.

This is where body doubling can have a pretty big impact.

When someone else is nearby (even if they are sitting silently away from you) the brain often responds with increased focus and readiness to act. This shared presence acts like a sort of subtle signal, whispering to your brain “it’s time to do the thing.” Researchers call this social facilitation, and it is a well-documented psychological effect where people perform better on certain tasks when other people are around.

So, what does body doubling mean for productivity and focus? It’s using that gentle, scientifically-proven social cue to boost your attention and your momentum.

There are two common types of body double techniques:

Passive body doubling: This is when someone is just nearby, doing their own thing without any interaction.

Active body doubling: This is where you both check in with each other at the start or end of a task, and there are sometimes some light conversation or goal-setting amongst you.

Both of these techniques can be helpful, depending on what allows you to feel the most grounded. Plus, beyond focus, body doubling ADHD tasks can also reduce any feelings of isolation. Let’s face it, it’s easier to stay on track with a task when you don’t feel like you’re doing it alone. Sometimes, just having someone else around is the nudge your brain needs.

What Does a Body Doubling Setup Look Like?

By now, we’ve touched on what body doubling is and how it can help, but how can you actually use it in everyday life?

The short answer is that it really depends on what feels the most supportive for you.

Some people prefer in-person setups, like working quietly next to a friend, flatmate, partner, or co-worker. While, others find remote body doubling like joining a Zoom, Discord, or YouTube co-working session where everyone’s simply present and doing their own thing, just as effective.

There’s no one right way. The goal of body doubling is to create a calm sense of shared focus.

Many people who use ADHD body doubling rely on simple tools to keep things flowing, like background music, ambient noise apps, or a timer that is set up for short sprints. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy or formal.

You might try out :

A “silent” session where you check in at the start and then work quietly

A “check-in” style where you share your goal, do your task, and touch base again in the middle or at the end of the session

The body doubling meaning here, in these setup examples, is really all about building a light structure around your task, with someone else present, without any added pressure or judgment. The trick here is to try experimenting and take notice of what best helps your brain shift into action.

When Body Doubling Helps, and When It Doesn’t

Body doubling can be incredibly helpful for some tasks, but it won’t work for everything, and that’s completely okay.

Many people find it especially useful for tasks that feel boring, repetitive, or easy to put off. This could be things like:

Admin work
Cleaning or tidying
Studying or reading
Answering emails
Filing, folding, or sorting

In these moments, having a body double nearby (whether in person or online) can gently nudge you into action and help you stay on track without needing to actually “feel” motivated.

That said, body doubling isn’t a perfect fit for every situation.

It may be less helpful for:

Deep creative work that needs full concentration
Difficult tasks
Emotionally heavy tasks like writing difficult emails
Anything that requires quiet processing or privacy

As with all ADHD strategies, this one isn’t all-or-nothing. You might find it works brilliantly for some tasks and not at all for others. Body doubling is one tool in the ADHD toolbox. Use it when it helps, and put it aside when it doesn’t.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Hard to Be Helpful

Body doubling is an easy, low-pressure way to get a little bit of extra support when your brain is feeling stuck. It’s not any kind of a magic fix, but for many people with ADHD, it can give just enough structure and shared focus to help things feel more doable.

The beauty of body doubling is in its flexibility. You can try it with a friend, a co-worker, your partner, or even with a virtual stranger on a co-working livestream. No one needs to talk or supervise. Just being alongside someone else doing their own thing can sometimes be enough to help you get started.

And that’s really the heart of it. The body doubling meaning isn’t about pressure or performance…it’s about presence. It’s a simple reminder that you don’t need to do everything on your own.

At Kantoko, we know support looks different for everyone. If body doubling helps you move forward, we celebrate that. And if it doesn’t, we’ll help you find what does.

Ready to find what works for you? Visit Kantoko

Frequently Asked Questions

What is body doubling for ADHD?

Body doubling is when you do a task with someone else nearby, either in person or virtually. You’re not working together, but side-by-side, each doing your own thing. For many people with ADHD, this quiet shared space helps with getting started and staying on track.

What is the 24-hour rule for ADHD?

The 24-hour rule is a handy pause button. It means waiting a full day before reacting to something big, like an emotional message or a major decision. It gives your brain time to settle and respond with intention instead of impulse.

What does body double mean?

For neurodivergent people, a body double is someone who’s simply present while they work. That presence acts like a soft nudge, which gives them gentle structure and focus, without any pressure to talk or interact.

What is the 10-3 rule for ADHD?

The 10-3 rule is a low-pressure way to approach tasks. Start with just 10 minutes. If it still feels too hard, that’s okay, you can stop and try later. If it feels manageable, do 3 more. It’s about easing in, not pushing through.