How to Get Things Done (and Feel Good Doing It): The Quiet Power of Body-Doubling
How doing the work alongside someone else transforms resistance into rhythm.
For years, I thought my ability to get things done - to create, to focus, to follow through - came down to structure, accountability, and hustle. But beneath that, there’s always been something subtler at play - the quiet magic of energy proximity, a truth my body seemed to recognise long before my mind did.
It’s the subtle, magnetic pull that happens when someone else is doing their thing beside you. No pressure. No coaching. Just presence.
That’s the heart of body-doubling - and it’s changing the way I work, and the way my friends get things done too. Some in a professional setting, others in a personal one.
What Is Body-Doubling?
Body-doubling is the practice of doing your own work while someone else does theirs - either virtually or in person. You might be clearing your inbox while they’re editing photos, or writing while they do admin. You’re not helping each other directly, but your shared focus becomes a soft, steady current that carries you both forward.
In ADHD research (and through the lived experiences of many people with ADHD) it’s recognised as a powerful regulation tool, helping people shift from distraction into focus through co-regulation.
Even outside that context, studies show that working alongside others can increase task persistence and motivation by up to 50 percent, thanks to a psychological principle called ‘social facilitation.’¹
Focusmate, one of the biggest virtual body-doubling platforms, has logged ‘over 12 million sessions - more than 500 million minutes of shared focus’.²
How I’ve Been Doing This All Along
When I look back, I realise I’ve been body-doubling my entire life without knowing it.
As a little girl, I had my own desk in my bedroom, but I almost never used it. Instead, I’d sprawl across the kitchen table to do my homework. My mum would be making dinner; my sisters would be reading in the next room. None of them were “helping” me - but their energy of doing anchored me into doing too.
That same dynamic has followed me through adulthood:
At the gym, I work harder when someone’s next to me - even a stranger on the treadmill.
When I’m pottering around the house, catching up on the things I’ve been putting off, I notice I’m far more likely to do them when my family’s at home - reading, chatting, cooking, or simply moving through their own rhythms nearby. Just having their energy in the space seems to make everything flow more easily.
Every week, I meet a girlfriend online for an hour to focus purely on money and finances. We call it our Money Power Hour. We’re not giving each other advice - we’re just holding energetic space for action, and the ripple effects are incredible.
And when I used to run accountability sessions, I thought the potency came mostly from the structure: the check-ins, the format, the accountability itself (which is still incredibly powerful). But over time, I’ve realised that body-doubling can be just as effective. It’s that same energy of shared focus and gentle presence, the sense that you’re not doing it alone, that creates real momentum.
Why It Works (and Why It Feels So Good)
When someone else is with you in the doing, a few things happen:
Your nervous system softens. The presence of another regulates the parts of you that feel unsafe to start or finish.
Your focus stabilises. The gentle accountability of “someone’s here” keeps you anchored in the present.
Your resistance dissolves. You move not from hustle, but from connection which is a completely different energy.
It’s not about being watched. It’s about being with.
What This Means for You (and Us)
If you’ve ever found yourself:
sitting at your desk with twelve tabs open, waiting for motivation to strike,
wanting to start something but feeling frozen in “I’ll do it later,” or
craving connection in your solo business world,
then body-doubling might be the soft bridge between wanting and doing.
It’s about letting presence become permission.
When you share space with another person who’s simply doing, you remember that you can too.
We move further together, not because someone else pushes us, but because their presence reminds us it’s safe to move.
How You Can Try It Today
If you’re curious to experience body-doubling for yourself, here’s a simple way to begin - no special tech or structure required:
Choose one small task you’ve been avoiding: something clear and specific (reply to three emails, update your Canva banner, tidy your desktop, sort receipts).
Pick a time-slot - 30 to 60 minutes is perfect. Schedule it like you would a meeting.
Invite a friend or peer - someone who’s also working on their own thing. You can connect via Zoom, FaceTime, or even keep a silent call running.
Set your intentions aloud - at the start, each of you shares what you’ll work on; at the end, you briefly check in at the end to celebrate progress.
Notice what shifts. Do you start faster? Focus longer? Feel lighter?
Repeat when needed. The more you practice, the easier it becomes for your body to anchor into “I can do this now.”
You might be surprised by how much changes just by not doing it alone.
Radical Momentum
The more I’ve reflected on this, the more I’ve realised how much I want to bring back this kind of shared energy into my own work - not as a program or polished offer (yet), but as a living, breathing experiment in gentle accountability.
So, I’m opening the next Radical Momentum session this Friday, 14th November at 10:15 AM AEDT - a 50-minute shared container for turning procrastination into progress. Not through hustle or perfection, but through presence, intention, and shared energy.
I’ll be there, working on my own project and holding space for anyone who wants to do the same - to show up, focus, and get something meaningful done.
If that time feels good for you, I’d love you to join me.
You can leave a comment below or reach out to me directly and I’ll share the link to join. We’ll be meeting via Google Meet - no app or account needed, just click the link and come as you are.
I can’t wait to co-create some magic together.
References
1. Based on findings in social facilitation studies and ADHD research on co-regulation.
2. Focusmate. “12 Million Sessions Milestone and Productivity Insights.” (https://www.focusmate.com)
Hey, I’m Catherine!
I’m here for the women doing business differently -
building something beautiful without burning out.
Here, you’ll find simple systems, soulful structure, and a softer way to scale.
