If you’ve ever said to somebody, “I don't need you to help me. I just need you to keep me company as I do this!”
You were most likely asking for body doubling without realizing it!
Body doubling is a technique where someone sits with you as you work, do some house chores, read, or do any other activity, really, to ensure you stay focused.
They're not there to help you, but to provide a passive form of accountability. After all, it's harder to slack off when someone else is in the room with you!
This strategy has become particularly popular in the ADHD community as a way to combat distractions in long, repetitive or boring tasks. It's not a foolproof solution, but it can definitely be a helpful tool.
To get started with body doubling, you can either ask someone to be your body double or suggest body doubling together, where you both quietly work on separate tasks.
Choosing the right body double for each task is crucial. Don't get me wrong, having your chatty pals around can be awesome when you're cleaning up, but when it comes to more serious stuff that requires your full attention, you might need somebody else.
And the best part? You don't even have to be physically in the same place! You can use video calls, discord servers or a community like Focusmate.
👀 Want to learn more about body doubling and how it can help you stay focused? Check out this video.
Living with ADHD can be challenging, especially when you feel ashamed or guilty for struggling with things that seem easy for everyone else. However, there are a couple of things that have helped me manage this:
Firstly, I made an effort to learn more about ADHD and how it impacts me personally. Understanding this condition is crucial and allows you to develop strategies to tackle the challenges it presents.
Secondly, I worked on helping my close ones understand ADHD better.
Having a supportive and safe environment is essential. Feeling comfortable in your surroundings and trusting the people around you can make a significant difference.
It's also crucial to foster empathy and understanding from those closest to you. Explaining the implications of your condition to them can be incredibly helpful.
You can even ask them to make some small changes to their behavior to make things easier for you. Although these changes may seem trivial, they can have a big impact on someone with ADHD.
For instance, I shared with my team that I find it difficult to read long and dense texts. I asked them to break the information down into shorter, more manageable sentences whenever possible.
For them, it is a small adjustment, but for me, it makes a huge difference in my reading comprehension and concentration.
These days, it's hard to focus on anything for too long, especially for those of us with ADHD.
There always seems to be some kind of distraction lurking around every corner.
But, since I started using noise-canceling headphones, they have helped me stay focused on situations where it would have been difficult before.
Now, you might be thinking, “those headphones are way too expensive!” And yeah, they're not cheap, but it is a worthy investment. Think about how much time you lose due to lack of focus caused by outside distractions.
With noise-canceling headphones, you can create a calm, distraction-free space that lets you get your work and tasks done.
And it's not just me – studies have shown that noise-canceling headphones work wonders for people with ADHD. They help reduce external sensory stimulation and improve concentration.
When it comes to picking a pair of noise-canceling headphones, I personally vouch for the Sony WH-1000XM4 or WH-1000XM5. They're amazing – great sound quality and seriously effective noise-canceling capabilities.
Also, listening to the same music can help you focus faster by creating a familiar environment. That’s why I always use the same playlist to work. If you're looking for some tunes, I've got you covered!
📻 Check out these two playlists on Spotify – one that I made myself, and the other by Lofi Girl. They're perfect for creating a peaceful, productive environment that'll help you crush your to-do list.
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