Starting small

Body doubling: what it is and how to try it

Body doubling is simple: you do your task while another person is there with you. They do not have to help. They are just present, in the room or on a call. Many people find it easier to start and to keep going when someone else is nearby. It is a common tip in ADHD and productivity communities, and people describe it as making a task feel more real and less lonely.

Ways to try it

  • In person. Ask a friend, partner or housemate to sit with you for 25 minutes while each of you does your own thing.
  • On a call. Keep a video call open, muted, while you both work.
  • Study-with-me videos and communities. Public rooms where people work quietly together.
  • With a person you trust, inside an app. That is what Focus Together in Onzy is for.

Tips that help

  • Say your one task out loud before you begin.
  • Keep the session short at first, about 25 minutes.
  • Pick someone who will not comment on how you work.
  • End by naming what moved. Even "I opened it" counts.

In Onzy

Onzy has Focus Together, a body-doubling room you share with one of your Spotters (the people you invite to cheer you on). You each work on your own task, and nobody has to talk. When you open a room, a small note shows that it is open and waiting for a Spotter to join.

Starting a room is a Pro feature. Joining a room a Spotter has opened does not need Pro.

Onzy offers support and everyday coping strategies. It is not medical care and does not diagnose or treat anything. It is not a crisis service: if you are in crisis in the US, call or text 988.

Try the first small step in Onzy

One task at a time, a coach that asks first, and wins that stay when you miss a day.

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Free to start in any browser, no card. Or find Onzy on Google Play (US). On iPhone, use the browser version.