Do you procrastinate at work? Body doubling is your new productivity hack
The Media Leader Jobs
Body doubling can help creative professionals overcome the negative effects of procrastination and build accountability.
Holding yourself accountable at work can be difficult. As work modes have changed so radically over the past few years thanks to the pandemic, many more of us remain working from home for at least part of each week.
So if you were already fond of a little procrastination, you might have found that this makes it easier than ever to put things off, shelve trickier tasks, and then scramble to get them finished as deadlines loom.
After all, if no one is watching, what’s the harm in doing that client deck at midnight—as long as it gets done, right?
Many creative people procrastinate. In his 2016 TED talk, organisational psychologist Adam Grant said it can actually be helpful and lead to better work. “Procrastination gives you time to consider divergent ideas, learn and reflect on setbacks, and then incorporate those lessons into your final work,” he says.
However, anyone who is a chronic procrastinator—and around 20% of people will pin this badge on themselves—will know the other side of procrastination is worry, stress, and sleepless nights.
For 40% of people, feeling overwhelmed and being unable to decide where to actually start that task they’ve been putting off is another effect.
It’s clear that for many creatives, procrastination is a behaviour that’s ingrained. For all the benefits it brings, the stress can negate the final result. So is there a better way?
Body doubling is a technique that can help. This is a practice designed to build accountability and involves finding a colleague or peer to work alongside you. They’re not doing the work for you, but their presence can help you to complete those frustrating tasks you’re just not getting done.
It doesn’t have to be in person, either. Virtual body doubling sessions can be just as effective. Flow Club is one example, offering virtual coworking sessions to help manage the downsides of working remotely.
“The idea is that simply having someone around you as you’re working improves your focus and motivation. This person, the ‘body double,’ can be a person or a group of people. They can be in-person or virtually on video chat or on the phone,” says Flow Club’s Ricky Yean, the company’s co-founder, and CEO.
“They can even be strangers. If you’ve ever felt that you got more done at a café, a library, or at the office than if you were working at home by yourself, you’ve experienced a mild version of body doubling.”
Of course, procrastination can be an organisational problem too, so if you’re finding that the way your workplace works doesn’t suit how you’d like to structure your schedule or is adding to your procrastination-based stress, then a job move can help.
The Media Leader Job Board is the perfect place to start your search. It features thousands of marketing jobs in companies that are actively hiring, like the three below.
Sport social media manager, News UK, London
The Sun Online is the biggest digital news brand in the UK and is looking for a talented, highly motivated, and resourceful sport social media manager with deep knowledge of social media platforms and sports news to join The Sun Sport Social team. Day-to-day you will manage and grow multiple accounts including The Sun Football, Sun Sport, and Dream Team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, suggest themes and stories, and guide editorial on what is and isn’t working for social. See the requirements for this job now.
Senior creative writer, Bauer Media Group, Norwich
Bauer Media is seeking a senior creative writer to excel in bringing ideas to life and who is comfortable sharing and presenting work. You will be an experienced creative writer with experience in commercial audio within a media environment. You should be familiar with both the audio production process and Radiocentre clearance procedures and will be experienced in audio for radio and have a desire to become an expert in digital audio (think Alexa, Google Assistant, Instream), and podcasts. Get all the information you need here.
Media planning manager, Publicis Groupe, London
As a media planner within Publicis Groupe’s dynamic and innovative team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing effective media strategies for clients. Your expertise and creativity will be instrumental in delivering impactful campaigns across various media channels, and alongside the planning director, you’ll have an active role in strategic planning, putting together responses to briefs, reviewing specialists’ proposals, and presenting to clients. If this sounds like a good fit for you, see all the requirements now.
