Body Doubling for ADHD: How this simple technique transforms focus and productivity

Let me paint you a picture.

You’ve been meaning to send that email for three hours. Instead, you’ve opened 20 new tabs in your browser. You’ve wandered into the kitchen, eaten a questionable number of snacks, stared at a wall for a bit, decided to reorganise your sock drawer (for reasons unknown), and somehow ended up Googling “How do goats sleep?”

And still, the email isn’t sent.

If you have an ADHD brain—or honestly, just a very human brain in 2025—you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not that you don’t care. It’s not that you’re lazy. It’s that starting things, finishing things, remembering what you were doing in the middle of doing it, can feel like trying to swim through mud.

This is where body doubling comes in.

It sounds like something from a science fiction film. But it’s real. And it works. And if you ask me, it’s a little bit magical.

So… what is body doubling?

At its simplest: body doubling is doing a task in the presence of another person. That’s it.

They don’t help you. They don’t need to talk to you. They can be in person or on a Zoom screen. They can be doing their own thing entirely. But their presence—quiet, intentional, human—helps anchor you to your task.

You say what you’re going to do. They say what they’re going to do. Then you both get to work.

And something shifts.

Suddenly that email gets written. That spreadsheet gets filled. That scary admin task that’s been haunting you for two weeks? You finally make the call.

But why does it work?

I could talk about psychology. About social mirroring, co-regulation, accountability cues, executive function, blah blah blah. But the truth is simpler: Being witnessed while we are intentional about something makes us deliver.

There’s something about another human being—even silently sitting next to you—that nudges your brain from “meh” to “let’s go.”

It’s like our procrastination needs an audience before it agrees to leave the stage. And for people with ADHD, who often struggle with self-starting and regulation, this external scaffolding is gold dust.

We’re not meant to function in isolation. We’re not robots. We’re animals. Social ones. And when another warm body is in the (virtual or literal) room, it tells our nervous system: you’re safe, you’re held, it’s time to focus.

How I learned this the hard way

I started FLOWN to help people do deep, meaningful work in ways that felt nourishing, not punishing. But even as a CEO, I sometimes fall face-first into a puddle of shallow work.

There was one day I remember vividly. My to-do list was longer than a Tolstoy novel. I had high-stakes decisions to make, and my brain just… refused.

So I joined one of our own virtual co-working sessions. (Yes, I use my own product. I'm not a monster.)

I announced, out loud, to a group of friendly strangers: “I’m going to write this proposal.”

And then, I did.

I don’t say this lightly: it felt like a mini-miracle.

Body doubling isn’t just for ADHD (but it’s especially great for it)

This technique is widely used by ADHDers, and for good reason. ADHD brains struggle with internal motivation and self-generated urgency. Body doubling adds a gentle external nudge.

But here’s the kicker: everyone can benefit.

Writers. Coders. Freelancers. Students. Parents. Anyone staring down the barrel of a boring, scary, or unstructured task.

I’ve seen lawyers use body doubling to draft contracts. Artists to prep invoices. Novelists to slog through their soggy middle chapters.

One FLOWN user told us: “It’s like sitting in a room full of quiet determination. No pressure. Just presence.”

Try it. Like, today.

You don’t need a fancy app (though FLOWN is very pretty, if I may say so!). Just:

• Call a friend and work on Zoom together.

• Go to a co-working space.

• Sit beside your partner while you both get stuff done.

• Join a virtual focus group or “deep work” session.

All that matters is the intention. You declare what you’re doing. You do it. And you let the quiet current of shared focus carry you forward.

You’re not a machine. Stop acting like you should be.

We’ve internalised this toxic idea that productivity = discipline. Hustle. Willpower. Toughen up, soldier.

But here’s the truth: Productivity isn’t about forcing yourself to do hard things. It’s about designing your life so the hard things feel easier.

Body doubling is one of those simple design tweaks that changes everything. It’s gentle. It’s human. It’s strangely beautiful.

You get to watch human evolution in progress. A screen of people, each chipping away at their own corner of knowledge. Striving to be their best. It’s glorious.

So the next time you’re stuck in a vortex of avoidance?

Don’t try to power through alone.

Find a body double. Anchor yourself in presence.

Then… begin.

To find out more how we can be your body double, just visit: flown.com/body-doubling-adhd.