What Is ‘Body Doubling’ & Why Does It Help Neurodivergent People?
Bridgette Hamstead
Body doubling is a strategy many neurodivergent people use to support focus, task initiation, and follow-through. At its core, body doubling simply means having another person physically or virtually present while you complete a task. The person who joins you doesn’t have to help with the task or even speak. Their presence alone can create a sense of accountability, structure, and support that helps you get started and stay engaged. For many autistic and ADHD adults, body doubling offers a nonjudgmental form of companionship that eases the pressure and isolation often associated with executive dysfunction.
If you’ve ever found it easier to clean your house when a friend is in the room or work more steadily when someone else is sitting nearby doing their own thing, you’ve experienced the effect of body doubling. It is not about being watched or micromanaged. It is about co-regulating with another person’s energy and using that connection to break through inertia. When we struggle to start something on our own, having another person present can make the task feel less overwhelming and more anchored in reality. It creates a sense of shared momentum, even if we are doing different things. For some of us, it feels like being gently tethered to the world when our brains want to drift or freeze.
This practice can be especially helpful for people with executive function challenges, which are common among those with ADHD and autism. Executive function refers to the mental processes involved in planning, organizing, prioritizing, initiating tasks, and managing time. When these functions are impaired or operate differently, even small tasks can feel impossible to begin. Body doubling provides a kind of scaffolding for those moments. It breaks the silence and solitude that can make executive tasks feel heavier. Instead of being alone with your thoughts, you are in the quiet presence of someone else who understands or who simply holds space with you. That can be incredibly powerful.
Body doubling is not new, even if the term is gaining popularity. Many of us have been doing it for years without realizing it had a name. Children who do homework better at the kitchen table, friends who fold laundry together while chatting, coworkers who stay late in the office just to feel less alone—all of these are examples of body doubling in action. What makes it especially meaningful for neurodivergent people is that it helps bypass shame. You don’t have to justify why you’re stuck. You don’t have to explain why something isn’t done. You just show up and begin alongside someone else who is there with you, not to fix you, but to be with you.
Virtual body doubling has become increasingly common, especially in the age of remote work and online communities. Many neurodivergent adults now participate in virtual co-working spaces, Zoom accountability sessions, or private body doubling calls with friends or support groups. In these sessions, people might say what they plan to do at the beginning, work quietly on their own projects, and check in at the end. Others may work in total silence, just knowing someone else is there. The format can be flexible and tailored to your needs. The key is that the presence is intentional and affirming. It creates a gentle container for your focus and effort.
It is important to recognize that body doubling is not a productivity hack in the traditional sense. It is not about forcing yourself to do more or pushing through exhaustion. Instead, it is about creating a supportive environment that meets your brain where it is. For some of us, body doubling is the only way we can complete certain tasks. It can help us manage daily life in ways that feel more sustainable and less isolating. It can reduce the shame of struggling alone and offer a reminder that support does not always have to be elaborate or clinical. Sometimes, it just looks like being with someone else while you do the hard things.
There is also something deeply human about body doubling. It reconnects us to the communal aspects of life that are often lost in neurotypical frameworks of independence and productivity. Many neurodivergent people thrive in collaborative environments where co-regulation and mutual presence are the norm. Body doubling gives us permission to return to that way of being. It reminds us that we are not meant to carry everything alone. That we can ask for someone to sit with us, not to solve the problem, but to make the moment more bearable.
If you are someone who struggles with task initiation or focus, body doubling might be worth exploring. You do not need to find a coach or a professional. A friend, a peer, or even a virtual community can offer the same support. What matters is the presence, the shared intention, and the space to begin. You are not broken for needing this kind of help. You are simply someone who moves through the world differently, and that difference deserves to be supported in ways that feel gentle and affirming.
Body doubling is a reminder that we do not have to earn support through productivity. We are allowed to be seen in our stuckness. We are allowed to reach for connection as a tool for movement. And we are allowed to need each other. In a world that often pathologizes our ways of being, body doubling offers a quiet resistance. It says you don’t have to do this alone. You can bring your whole self into the space and begin, right where you are, with someone by your side.
Ways to Try Body Doubling as a Neurodivergent Adult
Ask a trusted friend or partner to sit with you while you do a task, even if they’re doing something else entirely.
Join or create a virtual co-working or body doubling group using Zoom, Google Meet, or another video platform.
Use a quiet accountability buddy system—send each other a message at the beginning and end of a task session to check in.
Try silent body doubling sessions with no talking, just a shared presence and mutual understanding.
Use pre-recorded or livestreamed “study with me” or “clean with me” videos to simulate the feeling of someone else being present.
Set a gentle intention at the start of a session, even something small like “I’m just going to open the document” or “I’ll put away three things.”
Make body doubling part of your routine—have a weekly session with a friend or group you trust.
Respect your own pace. If a session feels like too much, it’s okay to try again later or ask for a shorter time window.
Choose tasks that feel safe to do with someone nearby, especially when starting out.
Remember that needing company to get things done is valid and human. You deserve support that works for you.