Can TikTok Help You Hack Your Productivity?

TikTok has revolutionized social media.

Since launching in its present form in 2018, the Chinese social media platform has experienced an explosive rise. In Q1 2020 alone, Tiktok was the most downloaded app in the world, with more than 318 million downloads outside of China.

In just a few years, the social media platform has upended browsing habits and content creation styles across the board. For anyone under 30, TikTok has become an indispensable part of their online lives. It’s replaced YouTube as the go-to platform for kids' videos. It’s also one of the social media platforms users spend most of their time using.

But is it a place where you improve your productivity?

Why Life Hacks Are a Suprise To Some from TikTok

TikTok started its life as a lip-synching app. And that’s how many people still think of it.

As more people gravitated to the platform over the years, what was posted and how users interacted with the app began to evolve. Today, TikTok is different things for different people. To one person, it’s a place for short, funny videos. Others see it as a place to watch their favorite influencers. Still, others see it as a cybersecurity vulnerability, threatening entire nations.

In the early years, almost no one could have envisioned TikTok evolving into a place for practical work tips. But tips and hacks flooded the platform as people vied for new ways of gaining followers.

From funny to helpful, tips and tricks on the app have been hit or miss over the years. But one recent productivity hack has been getting lots of attention - Body Doubling.

What is Body Doubling?

Body doubling is a productivity hack originating from the ADHD community where an extra person is present while you work on a task. Many found that simply having another person close by made it easier for them to complete tasks.

The body double doesn't help with the tasks. They are just present for support and accountability. It's been shown to help with getting started, staying motivated, and regulating your emotions when working on a difficult task.

As more workers are working remotely, body doubling has taken off as a way to stay on task when not at the office with coworkers around.

Why Does Body Doubling Work?

The idea behind body doubling is that with another person present, you’re less likely to get distracted and start scrolling your feed, stare off into space, or otherwise waste time.

Many of us have subconsciously been "body doubling" for years without ever noticing it. If you've ever called a friend while doing a mindless task, you've body doubled. That's because humans are social creatures by nature. Mindless or complex tasks suddenly become easier to manage when another person is involved.

Since WFH and hybrid working have spread teams out, we’ve lost some of the natural accountability we might find. The current body doubling trend takes the natural style we gravitate towards and makes it more intentional.

If you think you might struggle to get started on a task or make it to the end, you simply as a trusted person to join you for moral support.

Some Tips for Getting the Most Out of Body Doubling

Body doubling can be a great way to keep yourself focused and on task. But there are some pitfalls inherent in ourselves and current workstyles you'll want to pay attention to, so you can get the most out of it.

Virtual Body Doubling

In today’s hybrid work modes, you might not always have another person physically present to act as a body double. Thankfully, we have phones, Zoom, and other devices that can help. There are even dedicated body doubling groups online to virtually stand in and help you stay on task.

Don’t Use That Friend

The goal of a body double is to silently witness your activity to keep you on task. But this won't work with a friend that's always wanting to joke or quickly gets you off track. Find someone who won't be an extra distraction for the best results. Nothing against the life of the party or company joker, but they might not be the best candidate for this particular job.

Stay Silent

Body doubles tend to work best when the double is silent. Since they are there to help you stay focused, the last thing you want is for them to interject and interrupt every few minutes. Most virtual body doubling groups default their settings to mute and never have the volume turned on. You don't need to hear from your double. Seeing that they are there is usually motivation enough to complete the task.

Work in Time Blocks

There are diminishing returns on everything in life, and you can't expect someone to watch you work all eight hours of your day. Body doubling works best when you commit to a set amount of time, from 15 minutes to an hour, to focus on a task. If you have a friend acting as your double, you can even set some time to socialize at the task's completion as a motivator to help you power through.

Wrapping Up

We’ve all struggled to complete a task when alone. Many of us might have even “body doubled” without even realizing that’s what we’re doing.

This recent viral TikTok productivity hack takes something many of us have benefited from passively and makes it something we do proactively. It might not be the end-all, be-all productivity hack for everyone, but it can certainly help you push through some tasks you find yourself dragging your feet on. And that's something that's worth looking into.

At Taskworld, our business is helping people improve their productivity - whether that's sharing the latest tips and trends or providing powerful tools to assist you with tracking tasks. Our software works with all the major productivity styles, acting as a centralized space to host your files, communication, and other details of your tasks and projects. Bookmark us here and follow us on social media for more tips.

And if you’re not already a Taskworld user, give us a try today.