Serial tech entrepreneur, Alicia Navarro, [pictured above], founder of FLOWN, a virtual body doubling platform where people work alongside others to stay focused, explains to Business Advice readers how it can be an effective focus and motivation tool.Body doubling is the practice of working alongside another person, either in person or virtually, which can make it easier to start, stay focused, and follow through on tasks. With this way of working, the presence of another person creates a light sense of accountability and structure, helping to reduce distraction and procrastination without the need for active supervision or collaboration.This early-stage research commissioned by FLOWN shows the promising benefits of body doubling as a form of daily workplace support.
Body doubling and ADHD focus – research
The research uses data taken from FLOWN users, including a pilot of 117 adults with ADHD or suspected ADHD, and shows the before and after effects of body doubling. The research found that body doubling was an effective and immediate non-medical focus intervention for these adults, 52% of whom were waiting for ADHD assessment or treatment. Below are the three major areas where body doubling was shown to improve worker output, including longer focus time, reduced anxiety, and increased overall life satisfaction.
1. Longer focus duration
With body doubling in place, sustained focus doubled from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. Usually, people with ADHD can find starting and continuing with tasks a challenge. This intervention meant the focus doubled for this group.
2. Anxiety reduction
Through body doubling, and therefore not working alone, the research found that adults experienced a 30% reduction in anxiety, based on a self-report scale. The level of this change, the research found, is comparable to structured psychological support.
3. Higher life satisfaction
Adults in the research reported a +2.5 improvement in life satisfaction. This was measured using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 0-10 scale for national wellbeing. In UK wellbeing data, life satisfaction tends to shift minimally, making a +2.5 boost significant. This indicated that people were moving out of daily distress and regaining control.
Serial tech entrepreneur, Alicia Navarro, [pictured above], founder of FLOWN, a virtual body doubling platform where people work alongside others to stay focused, explains to Business Advice readers how it can be an effective focus and motivation tool.
Body doubling is the practice of working alongside another person, either in person or virtually, which can make it easier to start, stay focused, and follow through on tasks.
With this way of working, the presence of another person creates a light sense of accountability and structure, helping to reduce distraction and procrastination without the need for active supervision or collaboration.
This early-stage research commissioned by FLOWN shows the promising benefits of body doubling as a form of daily workplace support.
