Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Body Doubling

bodydoubling.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 86 posts

Re: Body Doubling

#51

Post by dominicq »

conductr wrote: post #42
kubb wrote: post #4

Is this common? Maybe that's one of the reasons that people push for RTO, they can't work alone?

I feel like I'm opposite of this camp or have some excessive attention disorder but not on the spectrum or anything either. I just can't focus at all in this situation, can't work in coffeeshops, could never study in libraries, can't multitask/read/study/create/etc if the TV or radio is on. My brain is kind of single threaded. I don't even like using productivity tools or todo apps beyond just listing things at a hig…

Haha that's me. My wife has a photo of me mixing concrete while on a call.

Same re productivity tools. I just use text files to write things down - extremely high level, never in detail. Always seemed like a waste of time tbh.

I feel like I don't even know why some days I can focus, and some I can't. It seems to be completely arbitrary. Sometimes I'll have the most perfect conditions and it'll be impossible to start working.

But I've never, not once, managed to work with the TV on.

Re: Body Doubling

#52

Post by jrflowers »

wussboy wrote: post #31
jrflowers wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like this post. You are cleverly saying that body doubling does not benefit people with ADHD

I think it’s more likely they’re saying it benefits everybody

My mistake, so they were agreeing that body doubling is for people with ADHD then. Otherwise a less-charitable interpretation would be that GP is saying that using a website to schedule a stranger to watch you do mundane tasks over Zoom —in 2025– is the same thing as human companionship in general, but that would be a kind of strange thing to volunteer online unprompted

Re: Body Doubling

#53

Post by pj_mukh »

chrchr wrote: post #26
pj_mukh wrote: post #11

Shoutout https://www.flow.club/ Fantastic body doubling service

See also http://focusmate.com , http://focus101.com , http://caveday.com , and many more!

Tried most of them! Caveday is just too many people in a room and the rest are really awkward just one-on-one. Flow club hits the midpoint, with 4-8 people in there, everyone has stated goals and it's obvious when someone is missing their goals.

It can still be a liiitle hit or miss depending on the club host. But a good host on a pomodoro session with actual verbal check-ins is 100x better than coffee.

Re: Body Doubling

#54

Post by pj_mukh »

rickyyean wrote: post #40
satvikpendem wrote: post #16

This is a concept primarily for people with ADHD by the way, if you're not in this target group you might not understand why it's needed, as we already see in this thread.

If this concept resonates, https://www.flow.club/ is where you'll find people who practice this technique regularly. We use it to do everything from the work we care about and want to be even better at, to work we don't care for like taxes, bills and laundry but have some mental block or emotional resistance to. I think people with ADHD are hyper attuned to the effort that goes into everything from the moment we wake…

Mentioned this below as well. Seconding Flow Club. I don't have ADHD, but am just a new parent and god having an "appointment" w/ other people for deep work changes everything.

Shoutout to Ricky and co!

Re: Body Doubling

#55

Post by dang »

amfarrell617 wrote: post #18
satvikpendem wrote: post #16

This is a concept primarily for people with ADHD by the way, if you're not in this target group you might not understand why it's needed, as we already see in this thread.

[flagged]

"Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Body Doubling

#57

Post by escapecharacter »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #17
escapecharacter wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reasons that managers/execs push for RTO are complex, and sometimes disingenuous and nefarious. As someone who’s worked remote (and async) and also in big offices, sometimes I see individual workers celebrating RTO for misguided reasons: 1. They use work as a social space 2. They enjoy the break of getting out of their house/from family/partner 3. The ritual of going to and from work as a separate space is helpfu…

It's not real helpful to label a bunch of fairly ordinary. useful, and healthy, aspects of work misguided and then offer no alternative suggestions to address your points. You go for a walk, live in a tiny apartment in Manhattan, and use lighting colour to give a sense of 'work place'. Well guess what, your circumstances probably don't generalise.

I'm sure my own rituals don't generalize, but are you saying that the alternative to that is mandatory RTO?

Re: Body Doubling

#58

Post by deadbabe »

If you need to practice body doubling it’s suggested you don’t go into a career doing knowledge work because you will likely have to spend a lot more time working alone.

Re: Body Doubling

#59

Post by conductr »

dominicq wrote: post #51
conductr wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like I'm opposite of this camp or have some excessive attention disorder but not on the spectrum or anything either. I just can't focus at all in this situation, can't work in coffeeshops, could never study in libraries, can't multitask/read/study/create/etc if the TV or radio is on. My brain is kind of single threaded. I don't even like using productivity tools or todo apps beyond just listing things at a hig…

Haha that's me. My wife has a photo of me mixing concrete while on a call. Same re productivity tools. I just use text files to write things down - extremely high level, never in detail. Always seemed like a waste of time tbh. I feel like I don't even know why some days I can focus, and some I can't. It seems to be completely arbitrary. Sometimes I'll have the most perfect conditions and it'll be impossible to start…

Good to know I’m not alone haha! I also have some of the concrete pouring type moments. I built a pool house last Spring during work hours in between and during meetings. I was able to do my actual productive work in evening after kids went to bed. Helps that I’m more of a manager than an individual contributor but nobody at work even noticed.

Also same productivity comes in bursts for me. Sometimes I’ll start the week off with a bang and get everything I needed to done on Monday. I’ll even go all night if I’m in this flow state. Then I will sleep until noon and take a leisurely pace the rest of week. Other weeks i procrastinate until im forced to get something done on Friday. Because I know this about myself, I try to think of work life one week at a time.

Re: Body Doubling

#60

Post by mellosouls »

chrchr wrote: post #26
pj_mukh wrote: post #11

Shoutout https://www.flow.club/ Fantastic body doubling service

See also http://focusmate.com , http://focus101.com , http://caveday.com , and many more!

Focusmate discussed on HN before, eg.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21352305

Focusmate – Virtual Coworking Helps You Get Things Done, 64 comments

Post reply on HN