Co-working and body doubling: get things done side by side

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t knowing what to do. It’s starting. That’s where co-working with your partner helps.

Body doubling is a simple idea: you work on your own task while someone else works on theirs, next to you or on a video call. You don’t help each other. You just keep each other company. Many people find it much easier to start, and to keep going, with someone else in the room.

How to run a session

1. Five minutes: say what you’ll do

Each of you names one concrete task for the session. “Write the intro to my thesis”, not “work on my thesis”.

2. Fifty minutes: work, quietly

Microphones off on video, phones face down in person. Work in one or two blocks with a short break in between.

3. Five minutes: show and tell

What did you get done? It doesn’t have to be finished. Saying it out loud is part of the magic.

In person or on video?

• In person: a café, a library or a coworking space. Pick a place with good tables and okay Wi-Fi. A walk to get coffee afterwards is a nice reward.
• On video: cameras on, microphones off. It feels strange for about four minutes, then you forget it’s on.

Make it a habit

Pick a fixed slot, for example every Wednesday from 7 to 8 pm. Treat it like an appointment, not a maybe. If one of you can’t make it, the other one still works and sends a quick “done” message afterwards.