Question 1

What is body doubling for ADHD?

Accepted Answer

Body doubling is the practice of working alongside another person to make it easier to start and sustain tasks. For ADHD brains, the passive social presence of another person provides gentle external stimulation that helps regulate the autonomic nervous system and reduces the executive function load needed for task initiation. The other person doesn't need to help, talk, or even pay attention to what you're doing — their simple presence is what makes it work.

Question 2

Does body doubling work for autism?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but for different neurological reasons. For autistic individuals, body doubling provides a predictable, low-demand social presence that anchors attention without requiring the cognitive overhead of active social interaction. It works especially well because the other person is simply present — there are no unpredictable social demands, no need to mask, and no reciprocal conversation required. Many autistic people find that body doubling reduces the overwhelm of open-ended tasks by providing external structure through shared space.

Question 3

Can AI replace a real body double?

Accepted Answer

AI body doubling serves a different but complementary role to human body doubling. It can't replicate the full co-regulation of sharing physical space with another person, but it offers unique advantages: zero social energy cost (critical for autistic users), 24/7 availability, no scheduling logistics, no reciprocal obligation, and no judgment about pace or productivity. For many neurodivergent people, AI body doubling fills the gap when a human body double isn't available — which is most of the time.

Question 4

Is body doubling just accountability?

Accepted Answer

No — body doubling is fundamentally different from accountability. Accountability relies on external pressure and the fear of disappointing someone. Body doubling works through co-regulation: the passive social presence of another being helps regulate your autonomic nervous system, reducing the activation energy needed to start tasks. Nobody is checking on you, tracking your progress, or judging your output. The mechanism is neurological (arousal regulation), not psychological (shame avoidance).

Question 5

Where can I find virtual body doubling for free?

Accepted Answer

AskSheldon offers free AI body doubling through Sheldon, available 24/7 at asksheldon.app/chat. Simply tell Sheldon what you're working on and ask for a body doubling session. Sheldon will maintain gentle presence, offer encouragement if you want it, and help you stay anchored to your task without judgment or social demands. Other free options include community body doubling sessions on Discord servers and platforms like Focusmate (limited free tier).