This post is all about understanding and using a dopamine menu.
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If you’re on TikTok, no doubt you’ve heard of something called a dopamine menu (sometimes also referred to as “dopamenu). It’s been promoted on the app as something that can help people with ADHD. However, there are plenty of other people that have joined in and said that they use dopamine menus to help them stay motivated, reduce their stress levels and remember to do things that bring them joy. If you’ve got ADHD, are feeling overworked, stressed, easily distracted, demotivated or are low on energy, keep reading on to learn more about dopamine menus. This post will teach you what dopamenus are, what activities go in each section and how to create and use your very own dopamenu.
Let’s get started!
A Quick Note on Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in the reward systems in our brains It’s our feel good hormone. It gets released every time we do something pleasurable (or even in anticipation of doing something pleasureable). Dopamine is involved in everything from sleep, memory and learning to concentration, motivation and mood, so it’s important that we maintain adequate levels of it to function effectively.
Obviously this was just a super brief introduction to dopamine. If you are curious to learn more dopamine and understand what happens when you have too much or too little of it, check out this ‘Dopamine’ article from Cleveland Clinic. Or if you’re looking for another quick intro to dopamine and to understand how it relates to people with ADHD, check out this video:
Okay so now you have some sort of understanding of what dopamine is, it’s time to get started with the dopamine menu.
The Dopamine Menu Explained
A dopamine menu or “dopamenu” is a personalised list of mood-boosting activities that you enjoy. These activities cleverly organised into the format of a menu, so that you can “order” activities easily when you need a boost. Like a regular restaurant menu, your dopamenu should include:
- Entrees
- Mains
- Sides
- Desserts
- Specials
Whether you are after a quick 5 minute activity to refresh your brain or a more involved and engaging activity that may require an hour or so, the dopamine menu has it all. It’s is your way of having a handy, visually appealing list of activities that are perfectly suited to your needs and preferences.
Join us as we break down each menu item in a little more detail.
Entrees
Entrées are perfect little pick me up to schedule in between tasks. They are quick, five-to-ten-minute activities that can bring you a burst of joy, but don’t suck you in and distract you from your original task. They are the activities that allow you to stop, do something fun, refocus and come back to the task feeling slightly more refreshed.
Examples of an entrée:
- Going for a quick walk outside
- Doing some stretches
- Snack break
- Doing a quick bit of exercise (e.g. doing 30 sit ups)
- Dance break
- Spending 5 minutes interacting with your pet
- Going for a quick cold shower
- Working on a sudoku or crossword
- Playing a round of a word game
- 5 minute meditation outside in the sunshine
Mains
Like a main at a restaurant, mains on a dopamenu are designed to bring you more sustenance than an entrée, side or a dessert. The kind of activities found under the mains section are the ones that spark your passion and really fill you up with joy. They are things that give you a true dopamine hit and could be considered a part of your self care routine as they play a part in capturing your interests and maintaining your well-being.
Examples of mains:
- Going for a run, walk, swim or bike
- Playing an instrument
- Spending time with friends or loved ones
- Doing something creative like painting, drawing, writing a story, arts and crafts, crochet, knitting or sewing
- Practicing a new skill
- Reading a book
- Doing a puzzle
Sides
Sides are activities that can be done alongside the task that you are trying to complete. They’re the little mood boosters that can motivate you to complete the task or to help you stay focused while completing it. If you have an activity that you are actively trying to avoid because it seems unpleasant, boring or you don’t feel like doing it, try pairing it with a side.
Examples of sides:
- Putting on a diffuser
- Listening to music
- Listening to a podcast
- Lighting some candles
- Listening to an audiobook
- Watching an episode of a show
- Playing with a fidget toy or a fidget ring
- Using a desk bike/treadmill or if you have a standing desk, doing leg stretches or walking on the spot
- Call a friend
Dessert
Like a dessert, these activities are your sweet treat. They are your go-to activities when you want to indulge in a guilty pleasure or two. However, much like any dessert, these activities need to be done in moderation, otherwise they’ll leave you feeling not so good about yourself.
Examples of dessert:
- Scrolling on social media
- Watching a videos on Youtube
- Playing video games
- Playing phone/computer games
- Binge watching a show
- Online shopping
Specials
Specials are the select few activities that are not easily accessible as a day-to-day mood booster. These are feel good activites that may require a lot of pre-planning or money in order to do. They are the kind of things that you use to reward yourself with every so often. Therefore, for this reason, most people tend to keep a note of these activities on a separate menu (kind of like how a restaurant has a separate specials menu).
Examples of specials:
- Going on a roadtrip
- Booking yourself for a massage or a beauty treatment
- Booking a vacation
- Going for a float
- Buying yourself something you’ve been wanting
- Going to a concert or a show
How to Create And Use A Dopamenu
1. Find your activities
In order to create your dopamenu, you first need to figure out what you enjoy doing.
Create yourself a list of all your hobbies, guilty pleasures and fun activities you use to fill your day. You can either do this in one foul swoop in a big brainstorm session or you can collect them slowly as you remind yourself of the things you do to bring yourself joy. This might be a super easy activity for you, or it may require a bit more soul searching. If you’re in a place where you have lost sight of yourself and no longer know what you enjoy, you may have to do a bit of reflecting and experimenting first.
Revisiting old hobbies, trying new activities and journaling can all be great ways of helping you rediscover the things that bring you joy.
2. Refine and categorise your activities
Now that you have your list of mood boosters, it’s time to go through and refine it. The point of your dopamine menu is that you will actually “order” things off of it. Take a chance to look over your list and cut out any activities you are not likely to choose when you need a boost. Be honest and realistic with yourself when doing this. It’s better to have a short and simple menu filled with things you love ordering, than a long, crowded list that is too overwhelming to look at.
Once you have your list, it’s time to start categorising. Assign each activity on your list to either the entrees, mains, sides, desserts or specials category. If you are having trouble deciding what activities fit under which heading, refer to the dopamine menu breakdown above.
3. Design your menu
This is the fun part! It’s now time to turn your categorised list into an actual dopamine menu.
Find a template that you like, replicate your favourite dopamenu style that you’ve seen, or get creative and design your own. Just make sure it is something that is visually appealing to you so that you will actually want to look at it.
Here is an example of a dopamine menu we created, to help you get started:
4. Display your dopamenu
Once you have put effort into creating your dopamenu, you want to make sure it’s accessible. This way you actually refer to it and use it.
Some people like to have their dopamine menus saved on their notes app on their phones or as their lock screen for quick and reliable access. They may even have another copy saved as a sticky note on their desktop/laptop as a reminder. Other people may benefit more from having a physical copy of their dopamenu available. They may print out their dopamenu and stick it up somewhere around their room or house. Or, if they’re the kind of person that has a physical planner that they keep handy, they might benefit from writing out their dopamine menu on the inside of the front cover.
Whichever kind of person you are, keeping your dopamenu handy is the key. So create multiple copies, test them out in a range of spaces and remind yourself to have a look at it the next time you need a wee dopamine boost.
5. Prepare, Strategise, Update
Prepare
Some activities may require you to have certain things in access in order do them. For example, playing an instrument obviously means that you to have that instrument handy. Therefore, we recommend that you choose some activities from your dopamine menu before starting your work session/task. This way you can have everything ready to go and you can look forward to the activity while you work. An example of this is if you know that one of the entree’s you want to do during your work break is a 10 minute yoga session, you might choose to wear yoga clothing, have your yoga mat laid out and have already chosen a yoga video to follow.
Strategise
If you know that you may struggle to decide what to “order” off your menu, you may need to put some strategies in place to help you out. For example, you could get a random generator/spin the wheel site to pick for you, you could close your eyes and point to an activity on the list or you could make a routine out of it and have certain activities that you do on certain days.
Similarly, if you know that the dessert menu is a bit too tempting and you find yourself indulging in it too frequently, you may need to help yourself by developing some strategies to assist. For example, if you know your go-to dessert item is scrolling on social media, you could set yourself time limits for those apps using the Screen Time feature on Apple or the Digital Wellbeing feature on Android. Or if you want to feel better about opting for a sweet snack, you could combine it with a quick exercise activity.
Update
Restaurants are always updating and refreshing their menu so that they remain current and people continue wanting to order off of them. It’s a good idea to treat your dopamine menu the same way.
Make sure to review and update your dopamine menu regularly so that it remains a useful tool for you to use. If you find an activity is no longer realistic for you or noticed that you have stopped “ordering” it, don’t be afraid to take it off the menu. Similarly, if you have tried something new or fell in love with an activity not on your menu, feel free to add it.
It might also be nice to switch up the design of your dopamenu every now and then, to keep it fresh and appealing to look at.
A quick note: Remember, a dopamine menu is not a to do list, you do not have to tick off every activity on it in one go. A dopamine menu is more of a smorgasbord of things you enjoy, so don’t feel guilty if you choose some activities more frequently than others. It’s also important to remember that dopamine is not a replacement for supports like therapy. If you are continuing to feel stressed, burned-out, anxious, low on energy or depressed, it’s essential that you go and seek help.
