Body Doubling for Autistic Folks

It’s very common for neurodivergent folks to have trouble staying attentive to a task that is not interesting to us. Even when we are trying to focus on the things we have to do, it can be hard to stay on task.

Some of the most common concerns are issues like:

• You didn’t plan how to approach the project, so now it’s hard to find a place to start.
• You didn’t consider how much time the project will take, or have under- or overestimated how long it will take (sometimes drastically!).
• You started and then forgot what your goal was.
• You started and then got distracted with some other task.
• You started and then got frustrated, and weren’t able to talk yourself into persisting with the project.

Having an activity partner or body double nearby can help with all of these situations.

What Is An Activity Partner?

You may have heard of an activity partner before. You may also hear them called an activity buddy, a shadow, or a body double. The activity partner is another person whom you have with you while you perform your task. 

How you use body doubling is up to you. In most cases, your partner can sit with you quietly, perhaps reading or working on their own task while you work on yours. I’ve also had success having a partner “be” with me over the phone or over video on the computer, if they’re unable to be in the same space with me. Ideally, your partner will be able to see and/or hear you for the majority of the time you’ve devoted to your project.

Sometimes, it’s more helpful for a partner to be more active in supporting you through your task. They can offer physical or verbal reminders of your intentions and goals, help you talk through a problem, or split the task with you to make it go faster. This will all depend on what you are trying to do and where you need the most support. Autistic and ADHD folks can often use someone else to support executive functioning, processing information, and just to bounce ideas off of.

How Can An Activity Partner Help You?

There are a lot of different ways to have an activity partner help you, either actively or passively, through a difficult project. Here are some of the biggest advantages:

1) Having another person nearby, either physically, online, or through the phone, can help you feel less isolated and less bored as you attempt a difficult task.

2) Knowing that someone else is in the room with you can keep you more focused on what you’re meant to be doing, because you have a constant reminder in that person.

3) The body double represents your commitment to achieving your task. Moving off-task would involve justifying that decision to your double, which is often harder than justifying that decision to ourselves.

4) A body double is giving their time to you to help you with your task, so you will be more motivated to complete it.

5) Your partner can model calm, relaxation, and focus to you while working on their own task, helping you stay regulated in your body and focused on your work.

6) A body double can remind you why you chose to do this task and what the benefit is of completing it.

7) A partner can help you physically do a task that may be easy for them but challenging for you, or can help you do one portion of your task while you take on another piece.

8) If you get stuck or overwhelmed in your task and are not sure what to do next, a partner can help you bounce ideas and think through your next step, and start you off on it before returning to their own work.

Finding a Body Double

There are many ways you can find an activity partner to help you get through those boring tasks we all put off.

• Ask a family member, a partner, or a friend to come over, phone you, or video chat
• Ask in online communities if anyone would like to get work done with you. Our free Find Your Flow Community is an intimate, supportive space where neurodivergent folks can connect with others who share their experiences. Come join us, and meet new friends and accountability buddies! You can join here.
• Look into paid body doubling groups and subscriptions

Want more tips and tricks for overcoming executive dysfunction? Check out episode 25 on the Neurodiverging podcast, Executive Function Tips: Automation & the Activity Buddy.

What are some other ways that you might use an activity partner? Leave a comment with your ideas below!

Looking for your next read? Check out these articles:

• Executive Function Tips: Automation & the Activity Partner
• Building your support network after an Autism or ADHD diagnosis: A guide to finding community
• A Neurodiversity Coach’s Top 5 Tips for Better Productivity | Neurodiverging Podcast
• What We Know (So Far) About Autistic Inertia
• ADHD Time Blindness Is Not Laziness