• Mental Health
  • Wellbeing
  • Workplace Wellbeing

Body doubling: the multi-purpose work hack for your team

  • By: paralleladmin
  • Posted on: 29th January 2025

By Alicia Navarro
Founder & CEO, FLOWN

It’s 9:07 a.m., and you’ve already been distracted by a Slack ping, a mildly interesting YouTube video, and that email that could totally have waited until later. Sound familiar? Working remotely—fully or hybrid—is great for many companies and individuals, but it comes with some challenges too. 

For employees dealing with remote work isolation, burnout, or ADHD, staying focused and feeling accountable doesn’t come easily. And you may never know they are struggling, because few people want to admit they have a problem for fear of losing their privileges or future promotions.  

So it may surprise you to discover there is a technique called “body doubling” that can help. No, it isn’t having a stunt double at work (although wouldn’t that be handy sometimes!). Body doubling is actually a simple yet wildly effective work hack that’s helping people tackle procrastination, overwhelm, isolation, and neurodivergence, all at once.

So, what is body doubling, and why should every company that’s serious about employee wellness start paying attention? Let’s dive in.

What is Body Doubling?

Body doubling is when you work alongside someone else, physically or virtually, to stay focused and accountable. They’re not there to help you with your tasks (unless you ask for advice)—they’re just present, like a supportive, non-judgmental sidekick who also has things to do.

The concept is rooted in ADHD support circles, where body doubling is often used to help neurodivergent people get through tasks that might otherwise feel insurmountable. But it’s not just for those with ADHD—anyone can benefit, especially in the context of modern work challenges.


Why does body doubling work?

The magic lies in a mix of psychology, neuroscience, and good ol’ social dynamics:

  • Accountability by association: You’re less likely to scroll TikTok for an hour if someone else can see (or sense) you doing it.
  • The co-regulation effect: Humans are wired for connection. Seeing someone else focus can subconsciously help you regulate your own focus.
  • Mirror neurones: we subconsciously mirror the behaviours we observe. It’s why we yawn when we see others yawn, and why studying in the library helped with focus.
  • Structured time: Scheduling body doubling sessions creates intentional, distraction-free time to work on specific tasks.

It’s like going to the gym with a workout buddy. You may not want to lift weights alone, but when someone’s there, it suddenly feels doable (and dare I say…fun?).


The modern workplace problems body doubling can solve

1. ADHD and neurodivergence support

An estimated 4-5% of adults have ADHD, though some studies suggest the number could be higher. For these employees, maintaining focus can be a daily battle, especially if they work from home where they lack the structure and accountability of an office environment. Body doubling is especially impactful for this cohort of your employee base. 

➡️ Pro tip for employers: Offer virtual body doubling sessions as an employee benefit. Services like FLOWN run 50+ facilitated sessions a week, so your neurodiverse talent can tap into the body doubling effect any time they feel the need. 

2. Combatting loneliness and isolation

Remote work has skyrocketed since the pandemic, but so has loneliness. Nearly 50% of remote workers report feeling isolated, which can lead to disengagement, decreased productivity, and even depression.

Body doubling sessions, whether in-person or virtual, foster a sense of connection—no small feat when your “colleague” is your cat. Plus, sharing even a few moments of casual banter before diving into work can replicate those watercooler moments we all secretly miss.

3. Preventing burnout and managing overwhelm

Burnout thrives in environments of isolation and overwhelm. Body doubling introduces a rhythm: focused work sessions paired with breaks. This structure encourages employees to pace themselves and structure their work into achievable chunks, rather than grinding until they crash.

One study found that just working alongside someone else can increase productivity by 30%. And when people feel productive without burning out? It’s a win-win.

4. Teaching structure to young employees

For many Gen Z employees, remote work is all they’ve ever known. But most have never learnt real world work discipline, so struggle without the skills, framework, or practise of organising their day and chunking their work into time-boxed chunks. 

Body doubling offers a chance to observe and mimic productive habits. For example, seeing how a peer breaks down a big project into actionable steps or schedules focus blocks can help younger workers develop their own approach.

5. Rebuilding workplace culture and cohesion

Culture erosion is one of the biggest concerns for remote teams. When everyone’s behind a screen, it’s easy to forget that you’re part of something bigger.

Body doubling can act as a virtual “team lunch,” providing low-pressure ways for people to interact while still getting their work done. Over time, these shared experiences strengthen bonds and create a sense of camaraderie.


How to introduce body doubling at work

If you’re intrigued, but unsure how to start, here are a few tips:

  1. Offer access to body doubling platform to your team: Use tools like FLOWN to access around-the-clock body doubling sessions aimed at professionals. Led by trained focus facilitators, FLOWN’s body doubling sessions have been proven to boost focus, productivity, and happiness at work. FLOWN’s platform also offers businesses the ability to create and host their own inter-team body doubling sessions using FLOWN’s focus video client. 
  2. It isn’t a meeting, it’s work: Team members may think “Urgh, I can’t fit in another meeting. But body doubling sessions are purely time to do your focused deep work, just in the presence of others for that extra focus boost. It is important to convey that this isn’t a meeting, and no one is here to micromanage. It’s just a space to work together.
  3. Create themed sessions: Focus Friday, Deep Work Wednesday, Admin Hour—themed body doubling sessions can make things feel more structured (and fun).
  4. Use it for brainstorming, too: Body doubling doesn’t have to be silent. Pair it with creative collaboration sessions where people can bounce ideas off each other in real time.

Is body doubling a workplace superpower?

Well, it’s not going to fix everything (you’ll still need to answer those emails). But for employees struggling with focus, loneliness, or burnout, it’s an incredibly simple, effective tool.

At its core, body doubling is a reminder of what we’ve known all along: we’re better together. Even if that “together” is a quiet Zoom room where someone else is typing away on their own to-do list.

So, what do you think? Ready to give body doubling a go? Grab your laptop, a coffee, and a buddy—and watch the magic happen.


Interested in introducing body doubling to your organisation? Check out flown.com/business for options, or contact business@flown.com for a demo.

Thank you Alicia for this insightful blog and contribution to Parallel-eb.co.uk. If you’d like further ideas or resources to support your colleagues’ wellbeing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us – contact caroline.masterton@parallel-eb.co.uk // 020 8874 1230