Why Does Body Doubling Work?

If you’ve ever studied in a library or worked in a coffee shop, you may know the power of body doubling.

It doesn’t really matter where you do it. Body doubling is simply having another person around while you work on a task. The other person don’t have to assist directly; just being in the same space helps you start, focus, and finish.

People with ADHD and coaches who work with neurodivergent clients know that body doubling is a powerful tool for helping with executive function like attention control, planning, and problem-solving.

Body doubling keeps you accountable to the other person. Which means that you’re less likely to procrastinate. For a lot of people, it’s one thing to choose a task and then think “do that task” but it’s another thing altogether to actually do it. Body doubling can feel like magic when all of a sudden, by just being in the presence of other people, you’re able to start (and finish!) your task.

The brain science behind this boils down to the fact that social encounters are shown to increase dopamine reward circuits.

Another thing that we see in The Cave, is that body doubling helps you push yourself. When tasks get difficult, your brain wants to find something else to do. So you look for distractions, your phone, email, anything that seems easier and anything more pleasurable (ie dopamine-rewarding). Body doubling increases endurance and ambiguity tolerance. By having other people who are focused and working around you, you’re more likely to stick with a task and focus for a little bit longer than you would on your own or even with someone else who’s just present and not working.

Body doubling is one of the many features of every Cave that make doing your work with Caveday magical.

Cavedwellers regularly surprise themselves by overcoming procrastination, getting big projects done, and feeling more focused and accomplished.  And that’s a feeling that make them want to come back for more.

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Caveday is a company aimed at improving your relationship to work. We write regular posts on Medium and send out monthly newsletters with productivity tips, life hacks, and recommendations. Sign up for the mailing list here.

Jake Kahana is a cofounder of Caveday. Sign up for his personal emails, called “The Email Refrigerator” here.