Overwhelm and procrastination: Growing your procrastination tree

We all know the feeling. The inbox is overflowing, the to-do list looks like a hydra, and suddenly, you’re rearranging your desk drawer for the third time today. Welcome to the tangled forest of overwhelm and procrastination — a place every brain visits occasionally, but where neurodivergent minds can feel especially stuck.

The truth? Overwhelm and procrastination aren’t signs of laziness or lack of willpower. They’re signals. They tell us that something in our system — emotional, sensory, cognitive, or environmental — has reached capacity.

And that’s where the Procrastination tree comes in.

The procrastination tree: A menu of meaningful responses

Think of the Procrastination Tree as a living menu. When your brain freezes or starts avoiding, it’s not saying “I don’t want to”; it’s saying “I don’t know how to right now.”
The tree helps you respond with curiosity rather than criticism.

Each branch represents a different response — things that help you regulate, reset, or reach out before overwhelm takes root.

Here’s what it might look like:

🌱 Branch one: Regulate — Soften the system

When you feel your brain fogging, heart racing, or your attention scattering, it’s time to pause and regulate.

Try:

• Walking away from your desk and taking a short walk outside
• Skipping (yes, really — movement shifts the energy!)
• Making a cup of tea
• Using a sensory tool, breathing exercise, or a piece of music to reset
• Spending five minutes in stillness, letting your thoughts catch up

These aren’t distractions; they’re nervous-system resets. When you return, the task hasn’t changed — but you have.

🌿 Branch two: Reconnect — Call in support

Overwhelm thrives in isolation. Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to stop struggling alone.

Try:

• Talking with a trusted colleague or friend
• Asking your manager for clarity or reprioritisation
• Scheduling a short check-in to unpack what feels heavy

One powerful phrase to keep handy:

“I’d love to take that on, but I need to check what resources are available first.”

It’s respectful, boundaried, and creates space to breathe.

🌳 Branch three: Reframe — Get perspective

Sometimes procrastination isn’t resistance; it’s confusion. We don’t start because the path isn’t clear.

Ask yourself:

• Do I know what the first tiny step is?
• Have I made this task bigger in my mind than it really is?
• Would it help to time-box just 10 minutes and see what happens?

If your brain struggles to transition, use micro-steps: open the document, title it, and close it again. Even a symbolic start signals safety to your mind.

🍂 Branch four: Restore — Accept what’s normal

Even the healthiest tree needs rest. Some days, your leaves will droop. That’s not failure; it’s biology.

For neurodivergent people, executive function is closely tied to energy regulation. When your cognitive battery dips, productivity tools won’t help; recovery will.
Take rest seriously. Step away before you crash.

For HR leaders: Supporting procrastination without stigma

Managers often see procrastination as disengagement, but it’s usually a symptom of overload or unclear expectations.
Instead of focusing on “fixing” procrastination, look for its roots:

• Are workloads realistic?
• Do employees have clarity on priorities?
• Are sensory or environmental stressors draining focus?
• Is psychological safety present enough for people to ask for help?

Encourage conversations that separate capacity from capability. Many neurodivergent employees care deeply about their work; procrastination is often the pause before they can re-engage.

A Workplace Needs Assessment can help uncover what’s happening beneath the surface — from communication patterns to energy rhythms — and design practical support strategies.

Why a toolkit beats willpower every time

In the moment of overwhelm, decision-making shuts down. That’s why planning your responses matters.
A written or visual Procrastination Tree keeps options visible when you can’t think clearly.

Try sketching yours:

• The roots represent what keeps you grounded (sleep, routines, sensory comfort).
• The trunk is your core self — your values and boundaries.
• The branches are your action options — regulate, reconnect, reframe, restore.

Stick it near your workspace, so you can choose from your “menu” when procrastination hits instead of spiralling into guilt.

A note on normality

It’s completely normal to procrastinate. It’s also normal to feel shame about it — but that shame is unnecessary weight.
Your nervous system isn’t broken; it’s communicating. What if, instead of fighting it, we listened?

Procrastination is a pause, not a problem. It’s your brain whispering: something needs attention before we can proceed.

If you’re an HR or people leader

Share this idea with your teams. Normalise discussing being overwhelmed as part of workplace wellbeing, not a performance issue.
You might even create collective “Procrastination Trees” in wellbeing sessions or Talks and Workshops — visual tools that remind people there’s more than one way to reset and return.

And if you’re unsure where to start, exploring this through Coaching can help individuals and managers find strategies that actually stick.

So what next

Overwhelm and procrastination aren’t character flaws. They’re communication tools — signals from a brilliant, overstimulated system asking for space, safety, and support.

Everything changes when we stop seeing procrastination as defiance and start treating it as data.

If this resonates, and you’d like to explore how to build your own toolkit or help your team do the same, let’s talk.
👉 Get in contact or subscribe to the newsletter for more practical strategies for neurodivergent inclusion and wellbeing at work.

Perfectionism often looks like dedication, drive, and high standards. But beneath that polished surface lies something more painful: shame.

As Brené Brown reminds us in Atlas of the Heart, perfectionism is rarely about healthy striving—it’s about protection. For autistic and ADHD employees, it often becomes a survival strategy to mask differences and avoid criticism in workplaces not designed with neurodivergent minds in mind.

For HR leaders and managers, recognising this connection isn’t just a wellbeing issue—it’s a performance, retention, and culture issue.

Understanding the Link Between Shame and Perfectionism

Research shows that perfectionism is closely linked to shame and self-criticism, particularly when someone feels their identity makes them “less than” in professional settings (Curran & Hill, 2019).

For neurodivergent employees, this can look like:

• Over-preparing for meetings to avoid being caught off guard

• Avoiding delegation because mistakes feel catastrophic

• Masking natural behaviours like stimming or asking clarifying questions

• Over-monitoring tone, wording, or facial expression to appear “acceptable”

This often overlaps with the impostor phenomenon, which can be amplified when people feel their natural work styles are undervalued.

When Shame Shows Up at Work

I once worked with a client who checked every email three times before sending it. On paper, this looked like attention to detail. But underneath, it was fear.

Years earlier, a typo had led to harsh feedback—and that memory still lived in their body as shame. The problem wasn’t “time management.” It was unacknowledged emotional pain.

Until that was met with compassion, no productivity hack could help.

Why Behaviour-Focused Interventions Miss the Point

Many workplace guides frame perfectionism as a performance issue—encouraging people to “stop overthinking” or “let go of perfect.”

But if perfectionism is a response to shame, these fixes only touch the surface. They can even make things worse, reinforcing the belief that someone is “failing” at self-improvement.

Instead, HR and managers should ask:

“What shame might this person be carrying, and how is our workplace reinforcing it?”

Creating Conditions That Reduce Shame

Perfectionism isn’t solved by telling someone to relax. It shifts when people feel safe enough to be imperfect. Here’s how leaders can create that safety:

1. Maintain a “Heartbeat” Connection

Send short, consistent messages that communicate psychological safety, such as:

“I’m okay, you’re okay, we’re okay.”

This reassurance helps lower fear and regulate the nervous system.

2. Name and Celebrate Strengths

Neurodivergent employees often focus on errors, rather than achievements.
Be intentional about pointing out what’s going well—even when it seems obvious.

3. Normalise Mistakes

Model imperfection. Share your own errors and what you learned.
This suggests that mistakes are a natural part of growth, rather than a threat to belonging.

4. Reduce Ambiguity

Clarity is kindness. Clear expectations and transparent feedback reduce the cognitive load and anxiety that fuel perfectionism.

5. Recognise Masking

If someone seems “always on,” consider that they might be masking.
Offer flexible working options, breaks between meetings, or informal communication methods.

👉 For a deeper understanding, explore our Workplace Needs Assessment package, which identifies hidden barriers and creates practical support strategies.

The Cultural Roots of Shame

Shame doesn’t exist in isolation—it thrives in cultures that reward compliance, speed, and flawless performance.

When perfectionism is widespread, it’s often a signal of systemic fear rather than individual overdrive.

Building inclusive workplaces means moving beyond “error-free” expectations and embracing psychological safety, trust, and genuine inclusion.

A Reframing Moment: Permission to Be “Good Enough”

A client once shared something their manager told them:

“Your 80% is better than most people’s 100%.”

At first, they dismissed it. Later, they realised it was permission—to stop chasing perfection and start working sustainably.
This small reframing freed up energy for creativity, innovation, and joy.

From Perfectionism to Authentic Contribution

If perfectionism is showing up in your workplace, it may be signalling unspoken shame or masking.

By shifting from performance management to shame reduction and authentic inclusion, HR professionals can create conditions where neurodivergent employees contribute their best—not through fear, but through trust.

Next Steps for HR and Managers

• Explore: Workplace Needs Assessments to uncover underlying drivers of perfectionism.

• Engage: Book a Talk or Workshop to start building a culture of psychological safety.

• Empower: Offer Coaching to help employees replace self-criticism with sustainable confidence.

You can also subscribe to our newsletter for monthly strategies on creating inclusive, neuro-affirming workplaces.

Body doubling in the workplace: A neuroinclusive strategy for focus and connection

Introduction

If you’ve ever found it easier to focus simply because someone else was in the room, you’ve experienced body doubling in action.

This practice—working in parallel with another person—has become a quiet revolution in neurodivergent communities, particularly among people with ADHD, autism, and executive function differences. For many, it’s not about being watched, but about being witnessed: the subtle motivational power of another human presence.

For HR leaders and managers, body doubling in the workplace provides a fresh, low-cost approach to fostering focus, connection, and psychological safety. It’s one of the simplest tools in the journey toward a truly neuroinclusive workplace.

What is body doubling?

Body doubling is the act of completing a task while another person is present—either in person or virtually. The “double” might be a colleague, friend, or even a stranger online, who is quietly engaged in their own work at the same time.

It’s not surveillance or supervision. Instead, it works through co-regulation—our nervous systems naturally syncing with the calm, focus, or steady rhythm of another person.

Reported benefits include:

• Easier task initiation (breaking through “task inertia”)
• Reduced procrastination and distraction
• Better emotional regulation and sense of accountability
• Less isolation, especially in hybrid or remote roles

The science and evidence behind body doubling

Formal research on body doubling is still emerging, but the underlying mechanisms are scientifically credible. Here’s what the evidence shows so far:

1. Academic & Experimental Findings

• Limited but promising research: A 2025 pre-print titled You Are Not Alone: Designing Body Doubling for ADHD in Virtual Reality (arXiv) found that both human and AI body-double conditions improved task completion compared with working solo.
• Comparative study (VTechWorks): In a small sample (n=40), participants completed tasks faster and with improved sustained attention in both in-person and video body-double conditions.
• Theoretical grounding: Clinicians describe body doubling as an externalised executive function that supports a social prompt that helps maintain attention, motivation, and time awareness (Cleveland Clinic; Newport Institute).
• Adjacent studies: Broader research on social facilitation and co-working effects supports the finding that mild social presence can enhance attention and persistence on tasks.

In summary:

The evidence base is small but growing. The mechanisms of accountability, externalised focus, and co-regulation are consistent with well-established cognitive and behavioural science.

2. Practitioner and Community Reports

ADHD organisations and coaching networks consistently highlight body doubling as a practical focus tool:

• CHADD: It helps individuals “choose a specific project, set a time, and be accountable to another person.”
• ADDA: “The body double becomes a model of control and a mirror.”
• VeryWellMind: Reports benefits in starting, sustaining, and finishing tasks, with reduced shame and isolation.

Common themes include:

• Initiation support: Makes starting less overwhelming.
• Emotional buffering: Reduces anxiety and loneliness.
• Accountability: Encourages steady focus without external pressure.

Drawbacks are also noted:

• Too much chatter can distract.
• Some users feel observed or self-conscious.
• It can foster over-reliance if not balanced with solo work.

Why body doubling matters for neuroinclusive workplaces

Body doubling aligns with key principles of neuroinclusive design: flexibility, autonomy, and shared ownership of productivity.

In Neurodiversity and Time, we examined how individual rhythms and attention patterns vary significantly. Body doubling supports these rhythms by allowing employees to borrow structure from shared focus rather than forcing conformity to rigid routines.

For HR and organisational leaders, adopting such techniques communicates trust:

“We understand focus looks different for everyone—and that’s okay.”

Exploring potential apps and tools

The rise of hybrid and remote work has led to a wave of digital tools that enable virtual body doubling. The following examples are provided for awareness purposes only, not as formal recommendations. Always review the suitability, privacy, and accessibility of any new platform before introducing it.

Example App	What It Offers	Format
FocusMate	One-to-one timed co-working sessions with accountability check-ins.	Virtual 1:1
Flow Club	Structured group focus sessions led by facilitators.	Group
Flown	Combines live “deep work” sessions with wellbeing breaks and community.	Individual & group
Caveday	Guided work sprints with communal breaks and motivation prompts.	Group
Centered	Adds gamified focus tracking and gentle AI support for maintaining flow.	Solo with social features

💡 Tip: If your organisation already uses Microsoft Teams or Google Meet, you can replicate the same structure by scheduling “silent co-working” slots or optional “Focus Fridays”.

To integrate these practices safely and effectively across your workforce, explore our Workplace Needs Assessment Package.

How to facilitate body doubling yourself

Body doubling doesn’t require software. It can be facilitated with nothing more than intention and clarity.

Here’s a simple, three-step recipe you can use with a colleague or friend:

1. Ask: What are we each hoping to achieve before we start?
   Keep goals specific, small, and time-bound.
2. Agree: How will we work together?
   Will we talk or stay silent? Cameras on or off?
   Are we checking in mid-way or only at the end?
3. Check-in: What did we achieve and how do we feel?
   Reflecting briefly consolidates success and reinforces motivation.

These steps mirror effective coaching practice: clarity, collaboration, and closure.

For teams, managers can support this by:

• Offering optional co-working slots.
• Setting clear boundaries (voluntary, non-evaluative).
• Framing it as peer accountability, not performance monitoring.

When energy or capacity is low

During periods of overwhelm or brownout (as explored in Skidding into Brownout), even setting up a session can feel too hard. Managers and HR professionals can help by:

• Offering drop-in focus spaces without registration.
• Allowing camera-off participation.
• Encouraging asynchronous accountability (e.g., shared task boards or “done” lists).

Pairing body doubling with gentle movement, such as walking meetings or pacing while on a call, can further support focus—as described in Unleashed Thinking.

Managing boundaries and risk around Body doubling in the workplace

To maintain psychological safety, organisational guidelines should ensure:

• Voluntary participation – never a mandate.
• No data collection or monitoring – sessions remain private.
• Equal access – suitable for remote and in-office staff alike.
• Inclusive communication – clarify that focus practices differ by neurotype.

Embedding these safeguards within wellbeing or inclusion policies protects both employees and the organisation while fostering genuine trust.

For structured implementation support, see our Talks & Workshops.

 

The bigger picture of Body doubling in the workplace

Body doubling may seem like a productivity hack, but at its core, it’s about connection, regulation, and a sense of belonging.

When workplaces normalise it, they demonstrate an understanding that focus is relational, not purely individual. For neurodivergent employees, that message is transformative:

“You don’t have to work alone to be doing it right.”

By embedding small, evidence-informed practices like this, we move closer to a world where inclusion isn’t performative—it’s practical.

Want to explore how body doubling in the workplace and other neuroinclusive strategies can help your teams focus and thrive?

➡️ Book a Workplace Needs Assessment
➡️ Explore Coaching Services
➡️ Subscribe to our Newsletter for evidence-informed insights on inclusive leadership.

There’s a common misconception that neurodiversity inclusion involves acquiring a lot of new knowledge and making significant changes to an organisation. However, how to get the value from neurodiversity in your workplace is a lot simpler than you might think. The key to creating inclusion lies in combining existing wisdom with new insights, as this is where the magic happens.

This is a highly strategic approach that fosters sustainable, meaningful change within the workplace, benefiting both neurodivergent and neurotypical employees.

Get the value from neurodiversity in your workplace: Three phases

A neuro-inclusive workplace can typically be successfully achieved in three phases:

1. The foundation – building knowledge about neurodiversity in the business environment.
2. The structure – understanding implications for workplace culture and practices.
3. The support – applying neurodiversity-friendly changes that align with your organisation’s objectives.

The integration gap

When it comes to neurodiversity changes, forward momentum is not nearly enough. Organisations need to be mindful of what we call the “integration gap” if they want their initiatives to be successful. This means creating dedicated spaces for reflection and action. The one thing that traditional neurodiversity training fails to tackle is the fact that this isn’t an “and/or,” situation. Workplaces need to create an environment in which existing knowledge and new insights work together to support neurodivergent employees.

Group coaching – Action Learning Sets

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of collaboration and input when it comes to creating learning spaces. For me, the most effective method of creating this is through Action Learning Sets. This is a group coaching model which brings together individuals, creating a robust shared learning and support ecosystem. Structured learning enables teams to collaborate by sharing skills and experiences. It provides useful tools to support neurodiversity, creates safe spaces for open discussions, avoids repeating the same mistakes and helps the organisation grow and improve faster. They create a safe space to discuss challenges and solutions, provide peer feedback for immediate use and build internal expertise for ongoing neurodiversity development.

Creating a sustainable neurodiversity change management 

While there’s no question that external neurodiversity coaching and facilitation can be valuable, the real power for an organisation lies in its ability to develop internal capacity. As teams learn to run these sessions independently, they create a sustainable framework for continuous improvement in neurodiversity inclusion.

Get the value from neurodiversity in your workplace: practical steps

Using Action Learning Sets should never be an afterthought. These are essential for any organisation who is committed to becoming more neuro-inclusive. These forums bridge the gap between neurodiversity knowledge and practice, creating lasting organisational change.

1. Begin by forming a pilot group focused on neurodiversity inclusion.
2. Gradually build organisational confidence in supporting neurodivergent employees.
3. Develop internal capabilities for sustainable neurodiversity practices.
4. Transform organisational culture through consistent use.

Ready to transform your workplace?

The journey to true workplace neurodiversity inclusion isn’t always an easy one. As with all important changes, there’ll be challenges as well as rewards.

Contact us today to discuss how we can support your organisation’s neurodiversity implementation through structured, collaborative learning. Whether you’re just starting your neurodiversity inclusion journey or looking to enhance existing initiatives, we’re here to help you create lasting, meaningful change.

Get in contact here

Transformative insights on neurodiversity in the workplace | Professional neurodiversity coaching | Workplace neurodiversity implementation