Body doubling is a strategy where you work along side someone as a source of motivation (and indirect source of accountability). Check out this video by Jessica McCabe at “HowTo ADHD” to learn more
- Body doubling is not necessarily about giving the other person instructions or guidance, it is more about doing a task together – hense the indirect accountability
- Ideally body doubling has reciprocal benefits for both people
- Body doubling as described in the video is typically in person and synchronous (doing the same thing at the same time) but it doesn’t have to be!
| In person or virtual | Synchronous or asynchronous (at the same time or not) | Who is the body double? | Example |
| In person | Synchronous | Two people who know each other | Doing homework with a freind |
| Virtual | Synchronous | Two people who know each other | Friends talking on the phone while they clean their respective rooms |
| In person | Synchronous | A group of people doing the same activity | Going to a co-working space or library to read |
| Virtual | Synchronous | A group of people doing the same activity | People on a discord server working on their art simultaneously |
| Virtual | Asynchronous | Para-social | Putting on a video of someone cooking and while making your own meal or using an app like Dublii or Focus Friend |
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Body doubling: OT-friendly strategy for motivation and accountability—whether you work side-by-side in person or virtually, synchronously or asynchronously.