FLOWN’s ADHD hack: How body doubling helps boost focus (as seen on Refinery29)

If you’re like most, you hear the term ‘body doubling’ and immediately think of mannequins, stuntmen or magic tricks. But Refinery29 journalist L'Oréal Blackett has written about FLOWN and a different kind of body doubling that’s gaining popularity among remote workers.

So, what’s going on? Has the WFH era triggered a mass cloning frenzy?

Not quite.

What is body doubling?

A favourite of ADHD coaches, body doubling is a term used to describe the practice of performing a task with someone else present. It’s proven to be an incredibly effective way to stave off procrastination and concentrate on tasks.

Whether its housework, life admin, or work tasks, many ADHDers have found this simple practice of working in the presence of another to be a powerful way to find focus more easily and get things done.

However, with more people working remotely than ever before, many are discovering the benefits of digital body doubling.

”It’s become my biggest concentration hack in the WFH era,” L'Oréal Blackett writes of FLOWN in a recent article for Refinery29. ”Using the body-doubling technique via apps fulfils my need for being near other working people. Without having to escape to coffee shops to sit in my favourite people-watching spots. And, simply being around people head down and deep in concentration, makes me want to do the same — why does this work so well?”

How digital body doubling works

For all of its advantages, working from home can be a challenge. Without the hubbub and community of office-life, motivation can wane. Tasks remain undone, to-do lists lengthen, and before long the autonomy of remote working can begin to feel like a burden. You find yourself languishing. For those with ADHD these difficulties are often magnified.

Trying FLOWN’s virtual coworking sessions, known as ‘Flocks’, is proving to be the perfect solution to this problem for many with ADHD.

You join a Zoom room to find 30 or so others like you — freelancers, solopreneurs, professionals — readying for an hour or more of deep work. “What will you work to achieve during today’s session?” the facilitator invites you to consider. After meeting two or three strangers in a breakout room to share your answer, you go on to work on your task in the virtual presence of your new companions. By the end, you invariably end up having gotten far more done than you’d thought possible.

Being able to work alongside others is one thing, but the connection and accountability fostered through these intention-setting rituals increases the body doubling effect, and multiplies productivity.

"In a post-pandemic world, where I still work from home,“ Blackett explained for Refinery29. “I am more often than not away from those communities, colleagues, friends and family members, which would, whether inadvertently or not, keep me accountable and motivated."

Like many others, Blackett has found FLOWN to be the ideal solution.

The convenience of being able to plan and structure the workday around these periods of enhanced focus has made FLOWN’s tools especially powerful for those with ADHD. But this isn’t just about focus.

Read the full article here

I Tried A ‘Body Doubling’ App To Help With Focus – It’s Weird But It Works

Why focus isn't enough

Along with Flocks, FLOWN offers a bevvy of resources and guidance for ADHD members.

Together with expertly led breathwork sessions, meditation, movement and a host of other resources live and on-demand, FLOWN is proving to be the perfect deep work toolkit for ADHD professionals in the WFH era.

"I have been seeking both community and accountability for times when I struggle with the probability of an ADHD diagnosis," Blackett writes in her FLOWN testimonial for Refinery29.

Like her, many professionals with ADHD are discovering FLOWN to be the answer.