Without a doubt, spending time alone without distractions can increase your productivity. But that doesn’t work for everyone, and it might not work in every scenario. Sometimes working with other people can give us the boost we need to get more done. In this post, I’ll discuss using a body double as a productivity partner.
What is a Body Double?
I first learned about body doubling early in my career as a professional organizer. The book Conquering Chronic Disorganization explains that some people seem to focus better when someone else is present, even if that person is not working on the same task. The “double” acts as a subconscious reminder to stay focused. This may explain why some people have trouble working from home; they are used to having body doubles at their workplace.
Ideally, the body double should occupy the same space as the person working on the task to maximize productivity. However, virtual body doubling can be a valuable substitute when participants leave the viewing window open to see each other.
How to Benefit from Body Doubling
Decide what to work on. Pick a project or task and estimate how long it will take or how long you want to work. For example, you may need to spend four hours on research, but you want to do it in two sets of two hours each.
Find a body double. Not everyone is a good body double. Choose someone with their own project to complete and who can work quietly while you’re doing your project. For instance, maybe your sibling would be willing to sit in your office and knit while you research and write your proposal. If you need to do some decluttering and organizing, you can hire an Out of Chaos team member to support you.
Set appointment guidelines. Before your appointment, establish some basic rules for productivity partners. Tell your body double what to do or say when they see you losing focus and what to do to get you back on track. It can be tempting to socialize – especially if your body double is a friend – but set a rule to take a coffee break and catch up at the end of your appointment.
Stick to your appointments. It is tempting to cancel your meeting if you feel tired or restless. However, those feelings might be covering up your desire to procrastinate. Keep your appointment anyway because the presence of your body double might help boost your energy and chase away procrastination.
A body double might sound like a quirky idea, but some neuro-atypical people (e.g., ADHD) report substantial productivity gains. If you think a body double would help you with decluttering and organizing, reach out to the Out of Chaos team for support.
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