Body Doubling and Cosy Coding Sundays
Making a side hustle is exhausting. It can be hard at times to just sit down and work on it, which is where a bit of well-placed accountability can be crucial.
Earlier this month, I attended Cosy Coding Sunday, a session for relaxed co-working. It's hard to overestimate the value of occasionally getting out of the house and into a different, more focused environment. Especially when the people around you are there to accomplish the same thing. It was quiet, with just the right amount of chit-chat to feel welcomed but still get a lot of work done
I found the event when it was mentioned at SheCodes, an organisation for training a new generation of women programmers. I met some wonderful people, all women working on exciting and unique projects. For example, Kate worked on a dress made of flashing lights, Selina worked on her handmade outdoor pet urn business, and Nina worked on her virtual tailoring service. Nina was also the host and organiser of the event, and she looked after us and provided snacks. Organised co-working like this is a form of Body Doubling.
Body Doubling is a term from the ADHD community. It simply means either asking someone to be near you whilst being productive themselves, or even involving them in your own task somehow. I use it when I can, but since it depends on another person, you don't want to over-use this technique and put tension on your relationship with that person. A lot of forms of accountability work like body doubling - for example, a cosy coding Sunday is essentially body doubling in a larger group.
A partner, close friend or coworker could be an ideal body double. That said, this concept has become so popular that there are now entire websites to find body doubles (ok, that last link was a pair programming site for Laravel devs, but pair programming is basically the same thing. Plus, if you're reading this you might be a Laravel developer and should totally check it out).
I want to find more opportunities like this as I turn my attention to both new and existing projects. I thrive in an environment of friendly accountability, and I'm sure there are many of you that do too. Reach out to Nina Karisik if you want to know next time she hosts a Cosy Coding Sunday, and reach out to me for body doubling questions or if you just want some quiet pair programming.