What is body doubling, and why is everyone suddenly talking about it?
Body doubling is one of those ideas that, the moment you hear it explained, makes you think, I’ve actually been doing this my whole life without knowing it had a name.
If you’ve ever wondered why you seem to focus and be more productive when you are sat around other people (even if they aren’t working and you don’t know them) that is body doubling.
It’s a phenomenon that started in ADHD communities, backed by neuroscience, and is now shaping the conversation around hybrid working, coworking spaces, and what it really means to do your best work. This guide will tell you exactly what it is, why it works, and the best way to get things done.
So what is the science behind it?
Body doubling is the practice of working in the presence of another person, not necessarily with them, just near them, in order to help yourself start, stay focused on, and complete a task.
The other person doesn’t need to be doing the same thing as you. They don’t need to talk to you, advise you, or even acknowledge you. Their presence alone is enough.
The term was coined by productivity coach Linda Anderson in the 1990s and became widely known in ADHD communities as a simple but powerful tool for beating procrastination.
A 2024 peer-reviewed study by Eagle, Baltaxe-Admony & Ringland, published in ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, surveyed 220 neurodivergent participants and found that the overwhelming majority used body doubling to help initiate, sustain, and complete tasks — and many had been doing it instinctively for years before they ever learned the term.
The Cleveland Clinic describes it as an “external executive function aid.” Dr Edward Hallowell, one of the world’s leading ADHD experts, puts it even more plainly: “Just having another person nearby activates a kind of attention, imagination, creativity that is dormant when we’re all by ourselves.”
So what’s actually happening in your brain when you body double? Several well-understood psychological mechanisms are triggered the moment you’re in the presence of another working person:
- Mirror neurons fire. When you observe someone else being productive, your brain mirrors that behaviour. It’s the same mechanism that makes you yawn when someone else yawns — except in this case, it makes you work.
- The audience effect kicks in. The subtle awareness of being seen, even if no one is watching you directly, is enough to keep you on task and reduce the pull of distraction.
- Dopamine gets a boost. Social connection triggers dopamine, the brain’s motivation and reward chemical. Even a passive social setting increases its release, which helps with focus and task initiation.
- Co-regulation occurs. Sharing space with calm, focused people helps regulate your own nervous system, reducing anxiety and enabling deeper concentration.
How to start working body doubling into your working week
Here’s how to put body doubling to work for you:
If you’re working from home full-time: Try spending just one or two days a week in a coworking space. You don’t need to talk to anyone or attend events, simply being in a room with other focused people will shift how you work. Track your output on those days versus the days you stay home. The difference is usually immediate.
If you’re already using a coworking space: Be intentional about when you go in. Save your most cognitively demanding or procrastination-prone tasks for your coworking days. Let the environment do the heavy lifting your willpower would otherwise have to manage alone.
If you’re trying to break out of isolation: Start with a day pass. Most coworking spaces, offer flexible options so there’s no commitment pressure. Arrive, open your laptop, and let body doubling work. The social layer (networking, collaboration, even referrals) will build naturally over time.
If you’re a freelancer or self-employed: Coworking spaces solve the two biggest problems of solo working in one move: isolation and accountability. You get the professional environment your work deserves, and you get a community that becomes part of your wider business network.
Ready to try body doubling in a flexible coworking space?
Come and try a day at Obsidian Offices.
Flexible day passes are available with no long-term commitment required. Just you, a desk, a room with focused people, and the most underrated productivity tool you’ve never heard of.
For more information contact our team today 01244 394200 or email us at enquiries@obsidianoffices.net
Day passes from £20!