By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet
The term “body doubling” might make you think of someone completing a task for you, like a stand-in who does stunts for an actor, but it actually refers to using someone else’s presence to help you focus on your own task.
While the technique has been used for years among people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, financial experts say that people outside of the ADHD community can also find body doubling helpful to get money tasks done, especially if they are struggling to get started or remain focused.
You could dial into a video conference filled with strangers while you revamp your budget on your own, or you could sit with your partner while you pay bills or organize receipts.
“The social presence of somebody doing a task with you makes you feel like you’re not alone and allows you to get it done,” says Dave DeWitt, a certified financial planner who specializes in serving clients with ADHD. “It helps you feel supported,” he adds, especially when you’re working on something that can be overwhelming like financial to-dos.
“I use it all the time,” says Vanessa Dean, a money coach who specializes in serving clients with ADHD and also has ADHD herself. “It gives me something else to focus on and holds me accountable.” She adds that she often body doubles with her clients by sitting on Zoom with them while they organize their finances and budget.
If you want to give body doubling a try, financial experts suggest keeping the following guideposts in mind:
Pick a specific task to tackle
“The tasks I find tedious or boring are the ones I need to body double for,” says Ellyce Fulmore, a financial educator and author of “Keeping Finance Personal.” She incorporated the concept into her money coaching program by encouraging body doubling work at the end of group calls. Participants work on specific financial tasks at the same time, like adding expenses to a budget, filing taxes or logging in to financial…
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