Flu explains · Video from October 23, 2026
Why are tasks easier with someone beside you? (body doubling)
Originally in Brazilian Portuguese, with English audio and subtitles.
Transcript
Ever noticed a task gets easier when someone’s next to you? Even if they don’t help at all? That has a name: body doubling. It’s doing the task in someone’s company, in person or on video. Many people with ADHD say it makes it easier to start and not quit halfway.
Science is still studying why it works, and for whom. Worth a try: invite someone, start a video call, or do the task along with a video. Who would you do the most boring task of the week with?
Sources
- Eagle, T., Baltaxe-Admony, L. B., & Ringland, K. E. (2024). “It was something I naturally found worked and heard about later”: an investigation of body doubling with neurodivergent participants. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 17(3), 16:1–16:30. — Study with neurodivergent participants.
This video is not a substitute for medical or psychological care. Only health professionals can make a diagnosis. Flu is an animated character. The scripts are written by Grazi, who has ADHD and created Fluir.