Benefits of ‘body doubling’ if you have ADHD, according to experts

Benefits of ‘body doubling’ if you have ADHD, according to experts



Editor’s note: register to CNN has grown up, but it’s gotten even better. Newsletter series. The seven-part guide includes tips to help you make more informed decisions about your personal finances, career, health, and personal connections.



CNN

Once a week, ADHD coach Robin Nordmeyer joins a Zoom meeting with other coaches to blog, do some office work, and work on presentation content she’s been putting off.

Nordmeyer, who has ADHD, doesn’t necessarily use meetings to collaborate with others. She just needs their presence as motivation to help her. get things done.

“I run a business, and I have to balance different areas of the business,” says the director of the Center for Living Well with ADHD-Minnesota, an ADHD coaching group for people of all ages near Minneapolis. said Nordmeyer, co-founder and managing director of.

“Some of those things are very easy to achieve, like they’re in my wheelhouse and energize me and I can’t wait to get to them,” Nordmeyer says. said. “Some of them are a little more cumbersome or resistant.”

What Nordmeyer does to overcome these more difficult challenges is sometimes known as “body doubling,” and it’s a productivity and self-help strategy. work with others Helps improve motivation and concentration. This has been popular for a while among people with ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), especially during the pandemic.

“The idea is that the presence of another person is essentially a gentle reminder to keep on task,” says Billy Roberts, clinical director of Focused Mind ADHD Counseling in Columbus, Ohio. “For people with ADHD who tend to let their minds wander and get away from work, Kagemusha acts as some form of external motivation to continue working.”

Body doubling isn’t exclusive to people with ADHD, but like many coping strategies, “what works for everyone is more central and important to people with ADHD,” says the founding co-director of New York University. said Dr. J. Russell Ramsey. Pennsylvania ADHD Treatment Research Program.

Why does body doubling work?

According to Harvard University, ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is commonly diagnosed in childhood but persists into adulthood and is caused by underdeveloped or impaired executive function and self-regulation skills. Focusing on developing children. These skills help you plan, focus your attention, remember instructions, and multitask. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, so people with the disorder can have difficulty concentrating, staying organized, managing time, controlling impulses, and can impact both work and personal life, Roberts said.

Roberts says that if people with ADHD don’t have an intrinsic interest in a task, they usually struggle with a lack of internal motivation to complete it or start it. Experts say body doubling is the motive.

“It also affects our social selves,” Ramsay says. “A lot of people with ADHD will say, ‘If I’m doing it for myself, but if I know that somebody is counting on me, somebody should be out there waiting for me to show up. ‘If I go for a walk, I’m more likely to go there because I don’t want to disappoint them.’

Roberts and other experts say there doesn’t seem to be extensive research on body doubling to increase productivity. “But we do know that the idea of ​​externalizing motivation is a long-standing, evidence-based mechanism for managing ADHD,” Roberts says.

In theory, this method is very simple, but to get the most out of it you need to keep a few things in mind.

How to effectively use body doubling

A body double can help you solve any task that is difficult to accomplish, such as work, housework, exercise, schoolwork, paperwork, and more. There is no need for other people to be doing the same thing as you, unless you need that support in an activity that requires you to double your body, such as exercise.

Please choose carefully who you want to be your Kagemusha. According to Roberts, that person should be just as focused on completing the task as you are, and not distract you with conversations or anything else. Choose someone who makes you feel comfortable and safe on a regular basis, and who encourages you when you need it.

“It’s important to keep the body double session focused on its purpose,” Nordmeyer says. If a conversation comes to mind, discuss it later, during a break or dinner.

While it can be awkward to have someone act as your shadow, Roberts says the best approach is often simple. You can say, “I heard this can help improve productivity.” Can you just stick around while I work on this? Maybe you can work on something too. ”

In a way, you can barter with them by making an offer like, “Help me organize my garage on Saturday. Please help me organize my garage on Saturday.” I’ll help you organize your home office on Sunday,” Ramsay said.

The small first step of finding a partner and setting up a session will get you started and keep you going, he added.

Scheduling regular body doubling sessions is also an option, Nordmeyer says, and you can always ask when the need arises. How clear you are about why you need Kagemusha is up to you, as is whether you have more than one Kagemusha.

“It’s up to the individual,” Roberts said. “If it becomes more of a distraction than it supports mindfulness, responsibility, and behavior, you just want to start over. Play around until you find something that works.”

virtual body double

If you don’t have a friend or colleague to act as your shadow, you’re not out of luck.

Some TikTok users Allie K. Campbellwill periodically go live while you work so that others can use you as a virtual body double. There are also body doubling and coworking platforms and apps. flew, focus mate or flow club.

In virtual sessions, “most Kagemusha will ask you to share your camera, and many people are very nervous about being seen,” Nordmeyer says. “The purpose is to make sure they’re sitting in their chairs and doing their work. …But there may be other ways to hold them accountable for that through the chat feature.”

The reason some people prefer to work on things in coffee shops, libraries, co-working spaces, etc. is likely because they have the benefit of doubling up on their bodies, but when there’s no one to ask, these things become passive. It can cause your body to double, Roberts said.

“Some people work better just with community support and recognition from those around them,” he added. “We’ve seen that a lot in the pandemic, with people learning more about the types of structures they need.

“We all think and work differently, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Roberts said.



admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *