Companion Care/Body Doubling Using the Hybrid Flowtime Technique

Many of us struggle with task initiation, prioritization, focus, or time management. Body doubling group helps us to get work done that we are struggling to do without support. Each member of the group can be there to support all the other members while also being supported by their peers.

Please come to group with a project or task you plan to work on. It can be a household chore/project, homework, work for your job, a personal project that you want to focus time on but maybe have struggled to prioritize, etc. Ideally, it should be something you can either complete or make measurable progress on in about 2.5 - 3 hours.

Please also come with the intent of being helpful for others by being present for them and listening to their goals and concerns.

We will use the Hybrid Flowtime Technique for this body doubling session. The Hybrid Flowtime Technique combines the uninterrupted, deep-focus "flow" sessions of the Flowtime technique (starting/stopping a timer based on energy) with structured, Pomodoro-style breaks (proportional to work time), and often incorporates a hybrid mix of analog/digital tracking to minimize distractions. This approach boosts productivity for complex tasks requiring deep thought without arbitrary interruptions.

Key Components of the Hybrid Flowtime Technique:

***Start & Focus: **Begin one task (unitasking) and note the start time, working until you feel natural fatigue or distraction, rather than stopping for a timer.
** *Record & Break: **Note the end time, calculate the work duration, and take a proportional break.
*** Proportional Breaks: A common rule is that a break should be roughly 1/5th or 20% of the work session (e.g., 90 minutes of work = 18-minute break).

Proportional Break Guidelines (Work
Break):
<5 minutes: 1/5 of the work session break
5 - 25 minutes: 5-minute break
25–50 minutes: 8-minute break
50–90 minutes: 10-minute break
(>90 minutes: 15–20 minute break)

• Hybrid Tracking: Use analog tools (a notebook) for writing down tasks and tracking times to avoid digital distractions, while using digital apps to track long-term goals.
  *** Distraction Log: **Record interruptions to identify and mitigate them in the future.

We will do three to four cycles, with flexibility built in for those who want to work through the break or get done early.

The four-hour timeframe will go approximately like this as an example (typically, although we can allow for varied time blocks for work during the session)...

2:00 - check-in with each other and tell the group what you will be working on, either verbally or in chat.

2:15 - Get started on your task or project. If you need silence to focus, you can turn off your computer speakers. I will put a stopwatch clock on the screen that will count up to the specified time of the work session. First session is 25 minutes in length to get us started.

2:40 - Group check-in. If you want to check in and report your progress or ask the group for advice, we will have an eight-minute check-in. If you are "in the zone" and want to just keep working, you can skip this.

2:48 - 60 minutes of work on our tasks or projects.

3:48 - Group check-in. 10 minutes. If you are done with your work, you can offer someone else help. If no one needs help, you can socialize with others. I will set up breakout rooms as needed for group work and socializing or for complete quiet.

3:58 - Begin 90 minutes of work.

5:28 - 15-17-minute break to walk around, eat a snack, stretch, use the bathroom, etc.

5:45 - Group debrief. Did you complete what you set out to accomplish? Did you make progress? Did you have fun? Do you have any suggestions for improvements in the future for yourself or for this body doubling session, Etc.

6:00 End time

I am open to playing music to establish a "coffee shop-like" atmosphere during the working sessions.

You may join the body doubling session at any time and leave at any time necessary. Happy Focusing! 😊