Why it may help
Another person can make time and intention more visible, reduce opportunities to drift into unrelated tasks, and create a mild social commitment to remain engaged. The other person does not need to supervise you or work on the same task.
How to try it
Define the first task
Say what you plan to do during the session in one sentence.
Use a time boundary
Choose a short interval and agree when you will check in again.
Keep interaction light
The goal is co-presence, not a conversation that replaces the work.
Protect privacy
Do not share confidential work, client information or sensitive documents with an online group.
Evidence caveat
There is good broader evidence for external structure and behavioural strategies in ADHD, but body doubling as a named intervention has a smaller direct evidence base. ADHDclearfocus therefore presents it as a practical option rather than a clinically established treatment.
Sources
Safren SA et al. (2010), JAMA, structured CBT for adult ADHD; broader executive-function and behavioural-support literature. Direct body-doubling research remains limited.
Explore your own pattern
Use the free ADHDclearfocus self-assessment to organise your observations across ten ADHD-related areas. It is educational and does not diagnose ADHD.
Take the free self-assessment →Browse strategiesPrepared by the ADHDclearfocus editorial team and clinically reviewed through Focused Care Psychology. Last reviewed 3 September 2026. Educational only; not diagnosis, medication advice or a substitute for individual healthcare.