If you’re part of the ADHD community, you’ve probably heard the term body doubling.
These days, it’s often used to describe virtual coworking sessions, accountability partners, or two people with ADHD working alongside each other.
Those things can be helpful. But they aren’t necessarily the same as the original body double concept.
Body doubling began with something much simpler:
The presence of another person.
I’ve been involved in the online ADHD community since 1997, and I first came across the body double concept in an article written by ADHD coaching pioneer Linda Anderson.
The article appeared on the ADD.org website in 1999. I remember reading it back then, but like a lot of useful information from the early days of the internet, it eventually became harder to find.
For years, whenever I heard people talking about body doubling, I found myself thinking about that original article.
I wished I could go back and read it again.
Then I remembered the Wayback Machine.
I searched its internet archives and found a copy of Linda’s article, The Body Double, archived on the ADD.org website in October 1999.
Reading it again more than 25 years later reminded me both how powerful the original idea was—and how much the meaning of body doubling has changed over time.
🎥 WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
Watch “Can’t Get Started? The Story Behind ADHD Body Doubling” with Tara McGillicuddy.
📖 Where the Body Double Concept Began
In her original article, Linda told the story of a client she called David.
David was a retired corporate vice president who was running three businesses from his home office.
From the outside, he appeared organized. He had systems in place. He wasn’t surrounded by piles of paper. He had the time to handle his work, and he wanted to do it.
But he still couldn’t consistently stay on track.
When David worked in the corporate world, he had an executive secretary who helped connect the dots and pull together the loose ends.
Once he began working from home, that external structure was gone.
Linda helped him improve his storage, time-management, and prioritization systems. But those changes didn’t fully address his difficulty with attention, distraction, and transitioning into tasks.
Then David admitted something that seemed almost too simple to matter:
When another person sat quietly in the room with him—even if that person wasn’t helping him—he could accomplish more.
The other person didn’t have to instruct him, supervise him, or work on the same task.
Their presence alone helped him stay anchored.
Linda recognized that she had seen the same thing with other clients. Sometimes her physical presence as a coach seemed to help a client find clarity and focus, even when she wasn’t actively advising or organizing them.
She began referring to this as the body double principle.
⚓ A Body Double Is an Anchor, Not a Supervisor
One reason I wanted to revisit this story is that body doubling is often overcomplicated now.
The original body double wasn’t necessarily an accountability partner.
It wasn’t automatically another person with ADHD.
It wasn’t someone checking your progress, telling you what to do, or making sure you finished.
At its simplest, a body double was someone who quietly held the space.
Linda described several possible reasons this might work.
The other person can serve as a physical anchor, making it easier for the distracted person to remain in place and connected to the task.
The body double may also act as a mirror, reflecting the calm, focused energy the person with ADHD is trying to access.
Linda even explored a more energetic explanation: perhaps the body double helps contain, balance, or buffer the energy around the person with ADHD.
Whether you prefer a practical, psychological, or energetic explanation, the important part is the same:
The body double’s presence changes the environment.
That’s why the right energy matters.
⚠️ The Wrong Person Can Make It Harder
Not everyone will make a good body double for you.
If another person interrupts you, asks questions, gives unwanted advice, or brings stressful energy into the space, you may become more distracted instead of less.
If you have to instruct, supervise, or manage that person, the interaction is using the energy you were trying to direct toward your task.
A helpful body double is usually someone who can remain fairly quiet and calm.
They might read, write, or work on something of their own. Some small talk may be fine, but their role isn’t to take over the task or become another source of pressure.
This is also why a spouse, friend, or family member isn’t always the best choice.
The relationship may bring expectations, history, or tension into the room. Someone who genuinely wants to help can accidentally shift into reminding, correcting, or supervising—and that changes the dynamic completely.
The question isn’t simply:
“Is someone else here?”
The better question is:
“What happens to my focus and energy when this person is here?”
Do you feel calmer and more grounded?
Does starting feel easier?
Can you remain connected to what you’re doing?
Or do you feel watched, judged, overstimulated, or pulled away from the task?
Your response matters more than the label.
💻 Body Doubling, Coworking, and Accountability Aren’t Identical
Virtual coworking has become extremely popular, especially since 2020.
Technology has made it possible to work alongside someone on Zoom or join a group action session from almost anywhere.
Coworking sessions can absolutely include elements of body doubling.
When several people are quietly taking action at the same time, their shared presence can help everyone stay connected to what they chose to do.
But coworking and body doubling aren’t automatically the same thing.
An accountability partner may ask what you plan to accomplish and check whether you did it.
A coach may help you choose a task, clarify your next action, or work through a block.
A coworking group may add structure, timing, check-ins, or success sharing.
A body double may do none of those things. They may simply be there.
These approaches can overlap, and one isn’t necessarily better than the others.
The distinction matters because it helps you understand what type of support actually works for you.
If what you want is a quiet anchor, a highly interactive accountability partner may create more stimulation than support.
If you want direction and structure, silent presence alone may not be enough.
🎧 Can a Virtual or Recorded Person Act as a Body Double?
The original body double concept involved another human being physically present in the room.
A live virtual body double is different, but it can still create a sense of shared presence and help anchor your attention.
I also think the idea may extend beyond live interaction.
Many people have told me they listen to ADHD Support Talk Radio while doing dishes, cleaning, walking, or completing other tasks.
The episode may have nothing to do with the activity they’re doing. Something about the voices, conversation, or energy helps them remain connected and keep moving.
You may experience the same thing with a particular podcast, audiobook, YouTube channel, or familiar television show.
The person isn’t actually in the room with you, and they can’t respond to you, so it isn’t body doubling in the original sense.
But their presence may still have an anchoring effect.
Pay attention to the people you naturally choose to listen to while you take action.
Does their voice help you feel calmer?
Do they create enough stimulation to help you begin without demanding too much of your attention?
Does their energy make the task feel less lonely or overwhelming?
That information can help you create a more supportive environment on purpose.
🐾 Could a Pet Be a Body Double?
Possibly—but again, it depends on the energy and the effect.
A calm dog resting beside you may help you feel settled and present.
A cat trying to knock over the cat tree while you’re speaking may be more of a distraction than a body double.
I know this from experience.
The same principle applies: notice what actually helps you stay with the task instead of deciding what should work.
✨ Keep the Body Double Concept Simple
Nearly three decades after Linda Anderson’s article appeared online, we have more ways than ever to connect, work together, and create external structure.
That’s a good thing.
Virtual action sessions, coworking groups, accountability partnerships, podcasts, and live videos can all help adults with ADHD begin and continue tasks.
But we don’t have to turn body doubling into something complicated.
Sometimes you don’t need more instructions.
You don’t need someone to tell you how to do the task.
You may already have the plan, the tools, the time, and the desire.
You just can’t seem to get started or stay connected to it when you’re alone.
In that moment, what helps may be as simple as another calm person sitting nearby.
A quiet anchor.
A steady presence.
Someone holding the space while you do what you already know how to do.
If you’ve tried body doubling, think about what made it helpful—or what made it fail.
Was it the structure?
The quiet?
The shared action?
The other person’s energy?
Or was it simply the fact that you were no longer alone?
Understanding that difference can help you choose the right support the next time you can’t get started.
💬 What has your experience with body doubling been?
Has it helped you get started or stay on track? Does the other person’s energy make a difference? Share your experience in the comments below.
Tara McGillicuddy has been a leading voice in the online ADHD community since 1997. She is the founder of ADDClasses.com and the producer and co-host of ADHD Support Talk Radio. She has spent decades helping adults with ADHD understand themselves, take action, and move forward.