Editor’s note: Sign up for CNN’s puberty, but better Bulletin series. Our seven-part guide contains tips to help you make more informed decisions about personal finance, career, health, and personal relationships.
CNN
—
Once a week, ADHD coach Robin Nordmeyer joins a Zoom meeting with other coaches while she writes blogs, does administrative tasks, or works on content for presentations she’s been putting off.
Nordmeyer, who has ADHD, doesn’t necessarily use the meeting to collaborate with others — she just needs their presence as a catalyst to help her. Getting things done.
“I run a business, and I have to balance a lot of different areas of the business,” said Nordmeyer, co-founder and managing director of the Living Well with ADHD Center of Minnesota, an ADHD training group near Minneapolis that serves all ages. “.
“Some of these things come very easily — like they’re in my wheelhouse, they fuel me, and I can’t wait to get to them,” Nordmeyer said. “And some of this stuff is a little boring, or I have some resistance around it.”
What Nordmeyer does to accomplish those difficult tasks is sometimes known as “body double,” a productivity and self-help strategy that includes… Work with someone else About to help improve motivation and focus. It has been popular for some time among people with ADHD — attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder — especially during the pandemic.
“The idea is that the presence of another person is basically a gentle reminder to stay on task,” says Billy Roberts, clinical director of Focused Mind ADHD Counseling in Columbus, Ohio. “For people[with]ADHD whose minds tend to wander in and out of task, the body double acts in some way as an external motivator to stay on task.”
Dr. J. said: Russell Ramsey, founding co-director of the University of Pennsylvania ADHD Treatment and Research Program.
Why body double works
A neurodevelopmental disorder that is typically diagnosed in childhood but persists into adulthood, ADHD stems from poor or weak executive function and self-regulation skills, according to research from Harvard University. Center for the Developing Child. These skills help us plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and multitask. Roberts said symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, so people with the disorder may have difficulty concentrating, staying organized, managing their time or controlling their impulses, which can affect their work and personal lives.
Roberts says that if people with ADHD don’t have an intrinsic interest in a task, they usually suffer from a lack of internal motivation to complete it or even start it. Experts said that doubling the body provides this motivation.
“It also depends on our social selves,” Ramsay said. “A lot of people with ADHD will say, ‘I’m having a hard time getting started on this if I’m doing it myself, but if I know someone else is counting on me, or if there’s someone else waiting outside to show up,’ to go.” On an outing, I’m more likely to go and be there because I don’t want to let them down.
There doesn’t appear to be extensive research on body multiplication for productivity, according to Roberts and other experts. “But I know that the idea of extrinsic stimulation is a long-term, evidence-based mechanism for managing ADHD,” Roberts said.
In theory, the method is pretty straightforward, but there are some factors to keep in mind to get the most out of it.
How to use body double effectively
Body doubles can help with any task you’re having trouble completing — whether that’s work, housework, exercise, schoolwork, or paperwork. The other person doesn’t have to do the same thing you do, unless the activity for which you need to double your body — such as exercising — requires that help.
Be selective about who you ask to be your body double. “The person should be as committed to completing your work as you are, without being distracted by the conversation or anything else,” Roberts said. Choose someone who usually makes you feel comfortable and safe, and who can encourage you when necessary.
“It’s important to keep a double body session focused on its purpose,” Nordmeyer said. If conversations come up, put them for later, perhaps during a break or dinner.
Asking someone to be your body double can be awkward, but Roberts said the best approach is often a direct one. You could say, “I heard this is something that can help increase productivity. Would you mind being around me while I work on this? Maybe you have something you can work on, too.”
You can also barter with them, in a sense, by making an offer like, “You help me organize my garage on Saturday; “I’ll help you organize your home office on Sunday,” Ramsay said.
Those small first steps of finding a partner and setting up a session will help you get started and keep moving forward, he added.
Scheduling bodybuilding sessions on a regular basis is one option, Nordmeier said, or just ask when needed. How transparent you are about why you need a body double is up to you, as is whether you have more than one body double.
“It depends on the individual,” Roberts said. “If it becomes more of a distraction than mindfulness or accountability or behavioral support, you just want to reframe things. You can kind of tinker with things until you find what works.”
Duplicate the virtual body
If you don’t have a friend or colleague to act as your body double, you’re out of luck.
Some TikTok users, e.g Allie K. Campbellare regularly broadcast as they work so that others can use them as a virtual body double. There are also platforms or apps for body doubles or teamwork such as He flew, Focus mate or Flow Club.
In virtual sessions, “most people ask you to share your camera, and a lot of people get really nervous about their appearance,” Nordmeyer said. “The purpose of that is to make sure that you’re still working on your bench. …But there may be other ways that you can create that accountability through the chat feature.”
Roberts said the body double benefits are likely why some people like to work on stuff in cafes, libraries or coworking spaces — which can be sources of negative body doubles if you don’t have someone to ask.
He added: “Some people do better with community support and just with the awareness of others around them.” You’ve seen that a lot with the pandemic, like people learning more about the types of structure they need.
“We all think and operate differently, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Roberts said.
