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 |