VIDA Virtual FAQs

Your questions about virtual coworking, body doubling, ultradian rhythms, and online community for women — answered.

Getting Started

What is virtual coworking?

Virtual coworking brings the focus and community of a coworking space into your home office. Through live, scheduled video sessions, you’ll work alongside other professional women in structured deep work blocks — powered by body doubling and designed around your brain’s natural productivity rhythms. It’s accountability, community, and science-backed productivity — all from wherever you are.

What is body doubling?

Body doubling is the practice of working alongside another person — virtually or in person — to increase focus, motivation, and accountability. You don’t need to be working on the same thing, and you don’t need to interact. Simply having someone else present while you work makes your brain naturally more focused and less likely to procrastinate. You’ve probably experienced it already: that feeling of being more productive in a coffee shop or library than alone on your couch. That’s body doubling in action. At VIDA Virtual, we take that effect and build structured, facilitated sessions around it — so it’s not just casual and unguided, but intentional and consistent.

Is body doubling only for people with ADHD?

Body doubling originated as a strategy in ADHD communities, and it’s incredibly effective for people with ADHD. But the science behind why it works applies to everyone. Social facilitation — the tendency to perform better when others are present — is a fundamental part of how human brains are wired. Remote workers, entrepreneurs, writers, creatives, and busy professionals of all kinds use body doubling to beat procrastination, stay accountable, and simply make focused work feel less lonely. If you’ve ever found it easier to get things done at a coffee shop than at home, body doubling is already part of your life.

How will VIDA Virtual help me?

VIDA Virtual helps you accomplish your most important work by providing structure, accountability, and community. Our sessions are designed around ultradian rhythms—your brain’s natural 90-minute cycles of peak focus. Instead of fighting distractions alone, you’ll have dedicated time blocks, gentle accountability from working alongside others, and a community of women who understand the challenges of focused work. Members report increased productivity, reduced procrastination, and finally making progress on projects that have been sitting on their to-do lists for months.

Why would I do virtual coworking with VIDA?

VIDA Virtual is specifically designed for professional women who want more than just a “body doubling” session. Our program is grounded in neuroscience research on ultradian rhythms and includes structured rituals, intentional rest periods, and a supportive community. We’ve taken everything that makes VIDA Coworking special—our Make Life/Work philosophy, our focus on women supporting women, our attention to the whole person—and adapted it for remote work. Plus, you’ll join a community of 350+ VIDA members across our physical and virtual spaces.

What is the current VIDA Virtual Programming Schedule?

Body Doubling

What is “virtual body doubling”?

Virtual body doubling is body doubling done online — typically through a video call where participants work on their own tasks simultaneously. It works the same way as in-person body doubling: the mere awareness of other people working alongside you increases focus and reduces procrastination. Virtual body doubling has become especially popular since the rise of remote work, because it gives work-from-home professionals the accountability and companionship of working alongside others without needing to leave the house. VIDA Virtual’s sessions are a structured, facilitated version of virtual body doubling — with check-ins, intention-setting, and a community built around it.

Can virtual body doubling really help me focus when working from home?

Yes — and you don’t have to take our word for it. The psychology behind body doubling is well-established: humans are social creatures, and we’re simply wired to be more focused and motivated when others are present. For work-from-home professionals, virtual body doubling addresses two of the biggest challenges of remote work at once: the isolation that erodes motivation, and the lack of external structure that makes it easy to procrastinate. Members of VIDA Virtual consistently report that even two or three sessions per week make a meaningful difference in how much they accomplish and how connected they feel.

How is VIDA Virtual different from other body doubling apps?

Most body doubling apps are simple: you join a video call, work in silence, and leave. That’s fine as far as it goes — but it misses what actually makes the difference for sustained productivity and connection. VIDA Virtual combines body doubling with three things other platforms don’t: first, our sessions are structured around ultradian rhythms, so you’re working with your brain’s natural focus cycles instead of arbitrary timers. Second, we have live facilitators, members of #TeamVIDA, who hold the container, lead check-ins, and create a real sense of community. And third, VIDA Virtual is built specifically for professional women — so the community, the programming, and the whole experience is designed with your life in mind, not just your to-do list.

The Science Behind VIDA Virtual

What are ultradian rhythms and cycles?

Ultradian rhythms are your brain’s natural 90-minute cycles of high and low alertness throughout the day. Unlike the 24-hour circadian rhythm that governs your sleep-wake cycle, ultradian rhythms happen multiple times each day. Research shows that most people can sustain deep focus for about 90 minutes before their brain needs a break.

There are two peak ultradian cycles during the day for deep work:

• Morning (around 9:30-11:00 AM for most people): You get a natural cortisol boost that enhances focus
• Mid-to-late afternoon: Another window ideal for concentration and learning

During a 90-minute session, it typically takes 10-15 minutes to ease into deep work. There may be a brief period of “jitters” as you get settled—this is normal! We lean into this by doing our check-ins and interactions during this warm-up period, then transitioning into a focused 60-minute deep work block. At the end, we lead an unwind period with closing rituals to help you transition out of the work cycle.

What should I do after a Deep Work session?

To maximize the benefits of your deep work session, follow it with intentional rest. This is when your brain consolidates learning and makes connections—a process called iterative metaplasticity. Ideally, spend 20-30 minutes doing something restful and unrelated to your work: take a walk, have lunch away from your desk, or let your mind wander. Resist the urge to immediately dive into email or scroll social media. Your brain needs this downtime to process and retain what you just accomplished.

How is this different from the Pomodoro method?

The Pomodoro Technique uses 25-minute work blocks with 5-minute breaks, while VIDA Virtual works with your brain’s natural 90-minute ultradian cycles. The key difference: Pomodoros force you to stop every 25 minutes regardless of your focus state, which can interrupt flow. Our 90-minute sessions align with your biology, allowing you to ride the natural wave of peak focus rather than fighting against it. Plus, VIDA Virtual includes community, accountability, and structured rituals that make showing up easier.

What’s a good morning routine to support my ultradian cycle?

Set yourself up for success by priming your brain before your deep work session:

• Wake up around 7:00 AM (or 2-3 hours before your session)
• Get bright light exposure within 30 minutes of waking—step outside or sit near a window
• Hydrate first thing
• Move your body, even briefly
• Spend 10 minutes doing something indulgent before you start work: take a short yoga class, sit in the sunshine with your coffee, put on your favorite song and dance wildly to it. It’s only ten minutes, but it can make all the difference in how you show up.

How can I learn more about ultradian rhythms?

We’ve created a white paper on ultradian rhythms and productivity that dives deeper into the research. You’ll receive access to this and other educational resources when you join VIDA Virtual. We’re also building a library of articles and practical guides in our member community.

How VIDA Virtual Works

What is the Deep Work Session?

The Deep Work Session is our core 90-minute virtual coworking block. Each session includes:

• Opening ritual (10-15 min): Brief introductions, intention-setting, and what you’ll work on
• Deep work block (60 min): Cameras-optional focused work time with minimal interaction
• Closing ritual (10-15 min): Share wins, insights, or challenges before transitioning out

Sessions are held via video, and you’re welcome to keep your camera on or off during the work block—whatever helps you focus best.

What is The Administrative Hour?

The Administrative Hour is a dedicated session for all those tasks that don’t require deep focus but still need to get done: answering emails, scheduling, invoicing, light planning, expense reports, etc. Working alongside others makes these tasks less tedious and helps you actually complete them instead of procrastinating. Think of it as accountability for the work you tend to avoid.

What type of work is best for the Deep Work Session?

Deep Work Sessions are ideal for tasks requiring sustained concentration and creativity:

• Writing (reports, proposals, articles, creative projects)
• Strategic planning and thinking
• Complex problem-solving
• Design work
• Learning something new
• Project work that keeps getting pushed aside
• Any task where you need to think deeply without interruption

Save emails, quick communications, and administrative tasks for the Administrative Hour or outside session times.

Rest & Recovery

What are some things I can do to “rest” between sessions?

Effective rest isn’t passive—it’s intentional time away from focused work that allows your brain to process and reset:

• Take a walk outside (even 10 minutes helps)
• Do some gentle stretching or yoga
• Have lunch away from your desk
• Listen to music
• Sit in nature or near a window
• Call a friend
• Do a brief meditation
• Engage in a hobby or creative activity
• You can see more options in our Resources Library!

Avoid: checking email, scrolling social media, or immediately jumping into another demanding task. Your brain needs genuine rest to consolidate the work you just did.

Community & Membership

What is VIDA Coworking?

VIDA Coworking is Portland’s premier community-driven coworking brand — and the foundation everything VIDA Virtual is built on. We operate two boutique locations in Northeast Portland and Beaverton, Oregon, serving 350+ members with a mission to help professional women Make Life/Work. 

Our spaces are more than just desks and Wi-Fi. VIDA is thoughtfully designed — from beautiful, contemporary workspaces and private offices to a fitness studio, a podcast studio, conference rooms, and an outdoor patio. But what truly sets VIDA apart is the community. Our members include entrepreneurs, remote workers, nonprofits, small businesses, and independent professionals who show up for each other every day — through networking events, mastermind groups, monthly happy hours, community lunches, and so much more.  VIDA Virtual was born directly out of that community. When women across the country kept telling us “I wish there was a VIDA near me,” we knew it was time to bring the VIDA experience online. Everything you’ll find in VIDA Virtual — the warmth, the structure, the genuine connection — comes from what we’ve spent years building in Portland. Learn more at vidacoworking.com.

Who is Melanie Marconi and #TeamVIDA?

Melanie Marconi is the Founder & CEO of VIDA Coworking — and the visionary behind VIDA Virtual. Melanie started VIDA because she believed professional women deserved a workspace that supported not just their careers, but their whole lives. That idea became a mission, and that mission became a community of 350+ members and two thriving Portland-area locations. 

Melanie is a longtime entrepreneur with a deep passion for community building, women’s leadership, and helping ambitious women find balance without sacrificing success. She’s also a solo mom of a 13-year-old daughter, a lover of travel (Paris and Disney cruises are a favorite), and a passionate reader of memoirs. Beyond VIDA, Melanie serves on the board of Xcelerate Women and writes a newsletter on Substack called Small Business Life. 

But VIDA has always been a team effort. #TeamVIDA includes Emily, Kaitlyn, Alex, and Katie — a talented group of women who bring decades of combined experience in operations, community management, marketing, and member care. Alex Bliss serves as the Community Manager for VIDA Virtual and is your go-to person for any questions about membership, sessions, or getting started. Together, #TeamVIDA is committed to making sure every member — virtual or in-person — feels supported, seen, and set up to thrive.

What if I don’t want to participate in the community?

That’s completely fine! While we find that community connection is valuable for many members, you’re welcome to join sessions for the structure and accountability alone. You can keep your camera off, skip the check-ins if you prefer, and simply use the session as a dedicated work container. There’s no pressure to socialize beyond what feels comfortable for you.

Can I work at VIDA Coworking locations if I’m in Portland or Beaverton?

Yes, we’d LOVE that! VIDA Virtual members receive a free monthly drop-in pass to work in person at our physical VIDA Coworking spaces in Northeast Portland and Beaverton (if you are ever in town!). It’s the best of both worlds—the flexibility of virtual coworking plus the option to work in person when you want a change of scenery or face-to-face connection.

Can men be Members?

Yes! In concept and lived experience, VIDA is specially crafted with women in mind, and with amenities that supports and enhances the lives of women and families. That said, ALL are welcome to join the VIDA Coworking Community.

Are the memberships a month-to-month commitment?

Our virtual environment is an integral part of the VIDA experience, and we’re committed to cultivating that community. That said, we’re also committed to being flexible so we can better accommodate varying work needs. All memberships are billed month-to-month, with a full 30-day notice to cancel.

How am I billed?

Each Member has their own account through our community platform, Circle. We offer your first seven days free as a trial period, and then if you decided to continue as a paid member, monthly membership fees will be charged – to the credit card or ACH account on file. Memberships will continue on until canceled, and cancellations require a 30-day notice. Credit cards will be charged a 3% fee, while ACH payments are free.

Does VIDA Virtual offer networking opportunities?

Yes, VIDA is known for its supportive professional community and in-person networking events. VIDA Virtual members will have access to online networking events and groups + the opportunity to post in the Promote It section on the community platform. We also feature all new members in our weekly newsletter, Monday Member News, and feature select businesses in our monthly newsletter, The VIDA Voice.

What if I’m not in a position to fully pay the monthly membership fee, but I really want to be a part of the VIDA community?

We do always try to Make Life/Work for those who want and need it! Please email us at hello@vidacoworking.com for more info.

What’s expected of me as a Member?

We strongly believe in creating a community that is kind, inclusive, collaborative and engaged. As such, we expect our Members to represent and respect these ideals. More about our Community Values, the VIDA vision and our commitment to you can be found in the Member Handbook, which you will receive upon joining.

Ready to experience VIDA Virtual? Join us free for seven days and discover how virtual coworking can transform your productivity.

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