- Beany Brain
- Posts
- Beany Brain #67: Dog Body Doubling and Falling Back
Beany Brain #67: Dog Body Doubling and Falling Back
Abigail Munday
November 11, 2025
Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!
Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.
Table of Contents
Photo by Abigail Munday
Body Doubling
I’ve mentioned body doubling before, and here’s an AI overview of what it means:
Body doubling is a productivity technique where you work on a task alongside another person, either in the same room or virtually, to help you stay focused and motivated. The other person's mere presence provides a sense of low-pressure accountability and calm, helping you overcome distractions and procrastination without needing to directly collaborate on the task itself. While it's especially helpful for those with ADHD and other executive function challenges, anyone can use it when they need to improve focus.
In the past, I’ve body doubled virtually and in person:
To help someone pack for a trip
Getting some writing done
Making dinner
Studying
Guess who helped me body double with my daily workout and with organizing my parents’ leftover container collection while I was in the US?
Charlie the sweet doggo.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Photo by Abigail Munday
As you can see, she doesn’t like having her picture taken. Or even when phones come into her view.
But honestly, she’s a people person. I mean people dog.
I’m allergic to cats, and honestly, I never thought I’d be a pet kind of person.
Our house rental contract in Japan and our budget do not allow for a pet, but maybe in the future?
I’m in two minds (mind doubling?)…
Because there’s also this:
Let me know what projects or accomplishments you’ve managed with body doubling, and was it with a human or other entity by your side or at the other end of a screen? Maybe ChatGPT? A pet?
Feeling burned out? Double up.
Little Miss Charlie sometimes doesn’t realize the phone is coming her way. And sometimes she body doubles with sunrays.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Ha Ha Haiku
A funny haiku for you every week in every newsletter, whether it’s one of my own or one I curate for you. HA. Ha. Haiku.
From Soseki Natsume’s Collected Haiku
Photo by Abigail Munday
Fall Back
Our peeps in the UK have already had to deal with the autumn time change, and now last weekend was the US’s turn.
Hey, folks (brag brag brag): The time doesn’t change in Japan!
I think they’ve got it right here in the Time Department. Who’s the timekeeping manager? She needs a damehood. Or at least a chocolate or two.
Fall means that we’re on the cusp of Super Cold and Dark and Dank and Heavy Wet Snow Season.
Winter can be very dysregulating for me, so here are 10 tips I’ll share with anyone else who needs them too.
While it’s still fall, I do these things:
Make a winter-fun list. Of course this includes visiting as many libraries as possible, among other treats. One thing I’ll add to the list this year is visiting the architecture museum in Kanazawa that I’ve wanted to go to but still haven’t been.
Think hygge: homemade turmeric lattes, soup and stew recipes (perennial favorites plus researching and planning and developing new ones), using the slow cooker, warm spices.
Put “happy lamp” on my daily to-do list. Use in the morning on dark days!
Gearing up for Advent. It starts on Sunday, November 30 this year.
Working out (almost) every day.
Getting outside, even if just to sweep up leaves. That has its own charms.
Pretty-leaf hunting.
Planning ahead for seasonal appointments such as getting the snow tires put on the car at the garage and my annual city health checkup. Flu and Covid vaccines.
Checking out the calendar and planning fun indoor events such as the monthly 500-yen lunchtime concerts at the Kanazawa concert hall.
Looking forward to the loveliness of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and beyond.
In other words, I’m falling back into cozy mode.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Yeehawesome!
Yeehawesome! is a happy-brain roundup in each issue of Beany Brain. What’s happening that’s good in brain land? What’s bringing me joy?
The leaves changing here in Kanazawa remind me of the above photo I took in Kyoto a few years ago. Mr. Autumn Leaves Jacket was actually very accommodating and let me direct him into this pose to be a great foil for the background—and he didn’t seem to mind that I wanted to take a photo of his back. (Funny Americans!) Happy fall, y’all!
Hastings, England, is one of the most deprived towns in the country, but the owner of the nonprofit Grumpy Cook Cafe, Barry Ashley, provides meals for low-cost or free for folks who need them.
Victoria Beckham designed and made the morning suit for when her husband David received his knighthood. I’m not a huge football fan, but well done, David Beckham, and well done, Victoria Beckham, on a smashing suit. Impressive.
The disco goats make me laugh every single time.
Ian Smith tells about his late autism diagnosis in an interview and how it’s helped him bring more inclusion into his workplace and also understand his own children better.
Quote of the Week
“I wonder if leaves feel lonely when they see their neighbors falling?”
- John Muir, naturalist and conservationist
Beany Brownie Points and Extra Bonus Funniness
source unknown
Wonderful Wednesday
Wonderful Wednesday was a day once a year in college when they would suddenly and surprisingly call off all classes and we’d play all day. The cafeteria provided special fun food and we’d do stuff outside like slip ‘n slides and jello wrestling in sumo suits. This segment of Beany Brain is dedicated to that memory of silliness and fun—no words, just a photo from the week that I’ve taken or found that reminds me to let the joy in. Since Beany Brain is published on Wednesday every week (at least, Wednesday in Japan), I hope you enjoy this Wonderful Wednesday.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Today’s Beany-full Summary:
Who could you body double with this week to get a project done?
Looking ahead to winter, I make a winter-fun list to help me regulate.
Go forth in Beany joy. What will help you feel yeehawesome this week?
Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.
If you’re enjoying Beany Brain, please share with a friend or seventeen at www.beanybrain.com. Cheers big time!