Body Doubling for ADHD: Everything You Need to Know

by Dr. Nicolette Natale

What Is ADHD Body Doubling?

Body doubling is a productivity strategy that’s well known within the ADHD community; the notion behind the strategy is that the presence of another person improves your ability to focus. This nearby person is the "body double," a term coined in 1996 by Linda Anderson, MA, MCC, SCAC, following her experience with an ADHD client.

Essentially, having people around you cultivates a sense of soft accountability that pulls you into the task at hand and away from distracting thoughts. If you've ever worked at a coffee shop, a library, or an office, or in any other public space, you've likely experienced a form of body doubling.

Your body double can be anyone — a friend, a partner, a family member, or even a stranger — and the technique works virtually as well as it does in person. You can body double with one person or in a group. Ideally, your body double is also working on their own tasks, signaling to you that you should stay on task as well.

People with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) often struggle with low dopamine levels that affect their executive functioning, especially when it comes to completing boring tasks like cleaning a room or doing the dishes. As a coping strategy, many people with ADHD call a friend to keep them company while performing this kind of task, which is a version of ADHD body doubling. As we'll soon learn in more depth, research has shown that social interactions can help increase dopamine.

According to Ari Tuckman, Psy.D, the author of "More Attention, Less Deficit" and "Understand Your Brain, Get More Done: The ADHD Executive Functions Workbook," body doubling works because “if somebody else is in the room, there's a little bit of social pressure to use your time well.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in interest in body doubling as ADHD diagnoses have increased, particularly among adult women. Epic Research reported a near doubling of new adult ADHD diagnoses in women aged 23–29 and 30–49 from 2020 to 2022. While ADHD-focused organizations like CHADD and ADDitude Magazine have long championed the potential benefits of body doubling, mainstream media outlets like CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times have only recently begun to discuss the phenomenon, sometimes using the term "virtual coworking" to describe body doubling.

Why Does Body Doubling Work?

The reasons body doubling works are numerous and varied. While there's no direct research on how it helps combat ADHD and improve motivation, there are some scientific explanations and theories that can help us understand its effectiveness: the dopaminergic response to social interactions, social facilitation theory, mirror neurons, human motivation theory, polyvagal theory, and the Hawthorne effect.

Dopaminergic Response to Social Interactions

The "low dopamine hypothesis" for ADHD suggests that people with ADHD have reduced dopamine levels, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and striatum — brain regions crucial for executive functions like attention, impulse control, and reward anticipation. Body doubling may be helpful because the social arrangement induces a dopamine release.

In a 2019 study by Kopec, Smith, and Bilbo, the authors demonstrated that social interactions can activate the brain's dopamine reward circuitry, increasing dopamine levels.

Social Facilitation Theory

For more than a century, researchers have studied social facilitation — how the presence of others affects individual performance. Norman Triplett from Indiana University initially observed, as reported in an 1898 paper, that cyclists performed better when training with peers than when training alone. Specifically, researchers have observed something called the "co-action effect": an increase in task performance purely due to having another person present and performing the same task. Researchers have also reported on the "audience effect," or how the presence of an audience can positively affect performance.

Mirror Neurons

A popular area of research for the past 30 years is related to the idea of “ mirror neurons” — whether they exist and how much they explain how we as humans govern our behavior: fMRI scans have established that there are brain areas that play a causal role in the way people imitate other people's behavior. Just like how we yawn when we see other people yawn, seeing other people focus on performing tasks makes us want to do the same thing.

Human Motivation Theory

Dr. David McClelland identified three primary human motivators in his 1961 book " The Achieving Society": a need for achievement, a need for affiliation, and a need for power. According to McClelland, these motivators are acquired rather than innate, and are shaped by life experiences, including our reference groups. For example, a person who compares themselves with a reference group that is high in achievement-oriented behavior may be more motivated to achieve themselves.

Polyvagal Theory

Dr. Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory links our physiological state to our psychological experiences. According to the theory, when individuals with ADHD engage in body doubling, they experience a calming effect due to a shift from a state of hyperarousal (sympathetic state) or hypoarousal (dorsal state) to a state of calm engagement (ventral state). This shift allows for enhanced focus, concentration, and productivity.

The Hawthorne Effect

The Hawthorne Effect is the name for the phenomenon of people altering their behavior due to an awareness of being observed. This theory originated from studies at the Western Electric factory at Hawthorne, near Chicago, between 1924 and 1933, where managers monitored workers closely and saw an increase in productivity. However, a 2014 literature review of related experiments yielded mixed results regarding its validity. From our perspective, body doubling should not have an implied hierarchy or difference in power dynamic. The best way to body double is with peers who can help cultivate a sense of “we are in this together."

How to Body Double Effectively to Mitigate Symptoms of ADHD

Even though there's no single established method of body doubling to mitigate symptoms of ADHD, we’ve based these four steps to effective body doubling for ADHD on the previously discussed science and the millions of hours of body doubling we power every month at Flow Club:

1. Use a timer to create structure.
2. Set clear rules of engagement.
3. Stay visible and accountable.
4. Cultivate a friendly and supportive environment.

1. Use a Timer to Create Structure

ADHD coach and ADHD Support Talk Radio host Tara McGillicuddy points out that “most people combine body doubling with the Pomodoro Method.”

2. Set Clear Rules of Engagement

Body doubling can fail when your body double becomes a distraction. Jessica McCabe, the creator of the popular How to ADHD YouTube channel, advises choosing a body double who won't distract you from your task.

3. Stay Visible and Accountable

Merely having someone nearby or on the phone can be productive enough. However, it's more helpful for both you and your body double to remain visible to each other. This is because ADHD individuals often experience an "out of sight, out of mind" phenomenon. Therefore, maintaining visibility is key.

4. Cultivate a Friendly and Supportive Environment

Many ADHD individuals struggle with Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD). The fear of judgment or embarrassment can discourage body doubling.

Is Body Doubling Just for People With ADHD?

While body doubling is one of the most effective coping strategies for people with ADHD, the technique can also be used by neurotypical people looking to increase motivation, eliminate potential distractions, and complete tasks more efficiently.

Start Body Doubling Right Away

The best way to understand the benefits of body doubling is to experience it. Virtual body doubling websites like Flow Club streamline the experience by bringing together a community of like-minded individuals, especially adults with ADHD, who understand what you're going through and can be your virtual body double. Flow Club's software platform coordinates schedules, structures sessions, and is purposefully designed to help you stay focused, improve executive functioning, and get the most out of your time. It's free to try.