Does Body Doubling Work for Boredom and Hyperfocus? 

Body doubling has become a popular ADHD support strategy, especially on social platforms and in virtual co-working communities. It involves working alongside another person, either in person or online, to help maintain focus, reduce procrastination, and improve task follow-through. But does it actually help with boredom and hyperfocus? 

What NHS and NICE Say 

Current NHS and NICE NG87 guidelines for ADHD focus on medication, behavioural therapy, and psychoeducation (NHS, 2025; NICE, 2023). While body doubling is not formally recognised in these clinical recommendations, it is increasingly discussed in coaching and peer-support settings as a low-risk, practical technique for improving self-regulation. 

How Body Doubling Works 

The concept draws on social facilitation, the tendency to perform better when someone else is present. For people with ADHD, this external presence can provide structure, accountability, and enough stimulation to sustain focus. Therapists and ADHD coaches note that body doubling can: 

• Reduce boredom by adding subtle social pressure and engagement. 

• Help with task initiation when motivation is low. 

• Support smooth transitions out of hyperfocus by providing external time cues. Recent studies suggest that this works partly through arousal regulation and mirror-neuron activation, where observing another person working encourages similar focus patterns. 

What the Research Shows 

A 2023 study in the Journal of Attention Disorders found that body doubling supported self-regulatory skills and helped adults with ADHD initiate and sustain attention during repetitive tasks (Ogrodnik et al., 2023). More recent findings from 2024 demonstrated improved task completion and attention maintenance when ADHD participants worked with a partner or virtual “double,” suggesting measurable productivity gains (Eagle et al., 2024). Although large-scale clinical trials are still limited, coaching and therapy feedback consistently report benefits for boredom management, motivation, and balance between focus and rest. 

If you want to explore structured ADHD support, ADHD Certify offers professional, online ADHD assessments for adults and children in the UK, with evidence-based follow-up plans that include behavioural and focus-management strategies. 

Takeaway 

 Body doubling is not yet an official NHS or NICE intervention, but growing research and clinical experience suggest it can help people with ADHD regulate boredom, sustain motivation, and exit hyperfocus more smoothly. For many, it offers a simple, social way to stay engaged without relying solely on willpower.