Body doubling for productivity
A fact I don't share that much (although I did in here as it feels strangely intimate!) is that back in February this year I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The reason why it got undetected for over four decades (besides the fact that until recently scientists thought adult women couldn't have it) is that I have, admittedly, been very successful in my studies and work endeavours.
I was so scared of failure that I created a lot of strategies for myself to do that over the years, and I probably have been working twice as hard as a neurotypical person to concentrate and be consistent, especially through subjects and tasks I find tedious.
One of the best strategies, which I use every single day, is body doubling.
It can work for you even if you don't have ADHD: working alongside someone else makes you concentrate better. This has to do with mirror neurons — a class of brain cells that enable us to reflexively emulate those around us, to adopt social behaviours for acceptance, status or competition.
Imagine being in a library to study: it feels wrong to talk on your phone or stand up every three minutes - which is what I would typically do if I were on my own.
Body doubling can be achieved virtually - I use a platform called FLOWN, a co-working platform with facilitated sessions that encourage deep work stints with recharging breaks in between.
There are also YouTube videos (here is an example) for that purpose.
You don't have to suffer alone, especially if you work from home and you feel a little isolated or that you are lacking accountability.
I even use it for cleaning (shameful confession, cleaning and tidying are not my favourite activities): I found an amazing app called Dubbii for that purpose.
Have you ever tried it before? Does it work for you?
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