Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Executive Dysfunction in the Context of ADHD?What Is Body Doubling?How Can You Use Body Doubling If You Have ADHD?Executive Dysfunction & Motivation

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Executive Dysfunction in the Context of ADHD?

What Is Body Doubling?

How Can You Use Body Doubling If You Have ADHD?

Executive Dysfunction & Motivation

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One of the trickiest parts of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is navigating challenges with executive function and focus. It can feel like moving mountains just to get basic tasks done, just to get started, stop procrastinating, and get the heck out of your own way.

Fortunately, there are all sorts of ADHD-friendly techniques that can make productivity a little easier, and body doubling is one of them.

At a Glance

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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms such as difficulty focusing, executive dysfunction, memory problems, hyperactive behavior, and difficulty with impulse control.

It is something a person is born with and is often diagnosed in childhood, though it might not cause deficits until later in life. It is a lifelong diagnosis that impacts relationships, work, physical health, mental health, and functioning.

Executive functioning refers to our brain’s ability to do a number of tasks, including holding information, organizing thoughts, managing time, and focusing.

Many people with ADHD struggle withexecutive dysfunction, which can manifest in many ways, including:

People with anxiety, depression, or another mental health diagnosis can also struggle with executive dysfunction.

A student who goes to the library tostudyin public is body doubling, as is a student who invites a friend to work on different projects in their home together.

Body doubling refers to doing a task with another person present. You can ask a friend to be your body double and simply share space with you while you complete a task, or you can go somewhere where you know others will be present.

The body double does not need to actively help with the task, and they can do something unrelated while you complete the task. They are simply present in the space while you complete the task that needs to be done. Two people with ADHD can simultaneously body-double for each other while doing unrelated necessary tasks in the same space at the same time.

You can body double in person, over the phone, via video chat, or even through text. The knowledge that someone is “present” and aware that you are doing the task is intended to increase motivation and follow-through.

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No specific person is credited with discovering the positive effects of body doubling. However, the concept seems to have emerged fromsupport groupsfor people with ADHD.

Participants found that having another person present improved their executive functioning and motivation. Researchers have not studied body doubling extensively, but individuals with ADHD have spoken to its benefits.

If you have difficulty staying focused on a task, the body double’s presence can cue you to remember what you were doing and provide light pressure to stay on track.

You can think of the task as a favor to the body double, which can increase your motivation to finish it. The body double is a physical reminder of the task you are trying to complete as well as a way to boost accountability.

To the other extreme, body doubles can remind you to take breaks, eat, drink, and use the bathroom if you tend tohyperfocusand neglect your needs.

Anyone can be a body double. If you feel you would benefit from having a body double, ask a friend or family member to be present while you complete a task. Remember, they can do something unrelated and do not have to interact with you directly in order to be an effective body double.

If you live alone and do not have someone local who can fill this role, the body double can join you via video or phone. You can even post to social media that you are completing a task to boost feelings of accountability.

How Does Executive Dysfunction Interfere With Motivation?

Executive dysfunction can impact motivation in multiple ways. If you have executive dysfunction, you might have difficulty breaking down a large project into several manageable steps and feel unable to start. You might be unable to determine how much time or effort the task will take and become overwhelmed.

It Can Be Hard to Start or Complete Tasks

Since ADHD can cause difficulty withmotivation,it can be difficult to start or follow through on tasks. People with inattentive symptoms of ADHD can have difficulty staying on the task due to focus issues and might struggle to finish a task they have already started. In addition, ADHD brains crave novelty,and so a task that is uninteresting or boring is harder to complete.

It May Impact Self-Esteem

Executive dysfunction can negatively impactself-esteem.When a person struggles and does not receive appropriate support, or they do not understand why something is hard for them, they might feel demoralized.

They may have negative thoughts about themselves and their worth as a result of their difficulties. This can lead to more difficulty with motivation in the future because the person will remember that they were unsuccessful in the past and may not see the point in continuing to try.

It is important to remember that having executive dysfunction does not mean that you are lazy. Motivation issues are a symptom of ADHD that can be disabling. A person with executive dysfunction does not need to simply “try harder” or be pressured orshamedinto putting in more work.

People with ADHD do not benefit fromcriticism and ridiculebut instead need support and understanding to overcome their executive dysfunction.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Smith ZR, Langberg JM.Review of the evidence for motivation deficits in youth with adhd and their association with functional outcomes.Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2018;21(4):500-526.Gomez R, Van Doorn G, Watson S, Gomez A, Stavropoulos V.Cloninger’s personality dimensions and ADHD: A meta-analytic review.Personality and Individual Differences. 2017;107:219-227.Molavi P, Nadermohammadi M, Salvat Ghojehbeiglou H, Vicario CM, Nitsche MA, Salehinejad MA.ADHD subtype-specific cognitive correlates and association with self-esteem: a quantitative difference.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):502.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Smith ZR, Langberg JM.Review of the evidence for motivation deficits in youth with adhd and their association with functional outcomes.Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2018;21(4):500-526.Gomez R, Van Doorn G, Watson S, Gomez A, Stavropoulos V.Cloninger’s personality dimensions and ADHD: A meta-analytic review.Personality and Individual Differences. 2017;107:219-227.Molavi P, Nadermohammadi M, Salvat Ghojehbeiglou H, Vicario CM, Nitsche MA, Salehinejad MA.ADHD subtype-specific cognitive correlates and association with self-esteem: a quantitative difference.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):502.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Smith ZR, Langberg JM.Review of the evidence for motivation deficits in youth with adhd and their association with functional outcomes.Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2018;21(4):500-526.Gomez R, Van Doorn G, Watson S, Gomez A, Stavropoulos V.Cloninger’s personality dimensions and ADHD: A meta-analytic review.Personality and Individual Differences. 2017;107:219-227.Molavi P, Nadermohammadi M, Salvat Ghojehbeiglou H, Vicario CM, Nitsche MA, Salehinejad MA.ADHD subtype-specific cognitive correlates and association with self-esteem: a quantitative difference.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):502.

Smith ZR, Langberg JM.Review of the evidence for motivation deficits in youth with adhd and their association with functional outcomes.Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2018;21(4):500-526.

Gomez R, Van Doorn G, Watson S, Gomez A, Stavropoulos V.Cloninger’s personality dimensions and ADHD: A meta-analytic review.Personality and Individual Differences. 2017;107:219-227.

Molavi P, Nadermohammadi M, Salvat Ghojehbeiglou H, Vicario CM, Nitsche MA, Salehinejad MA.ADHD subtype-specific cognitive correlates and association with self-esteem: a quantitative difference.BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):502.

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