Dopamine is the feel-good hormone your body produces in response to dopamine-inducing activities. Dopamine makes you feel lighter, happier, and more motivated. When your body is low on dopamine, you’ll feel more tired, unmotivated, moody, and unhappy. When you receive dopamine, you’ll want to repeat that activity so that your brain can have another rush of those uplifting chemicals. These dopamine hits can come from healthy pastimes like exercising or tackling your to-do list. However, they can also come from unhealthy habits like doomscrolling, excessive alcohol, or nicotine intake.
Creating a dopamine menu takes the guesswork out of coming up with alternate plans to spending hours on social media. Here, you can outline activities that you either already enjoy or wish to delve further into and make a habit of.
Dopamine & ADHD-
The concept of the dopamine menu was originally brought to life in 2020 by Jessica McCabe from her channel “How to ADHD” on YouTube. A few years later, the idea blew up on TikTok, bringing more people the inspiration to live happier lives.
Neurodivergent people who live with ADHD have naturally lower levels of dopamine. This can lead to them reaching for quick dopamine hits more often. Living with ADHD can hinder progress on certain tasks like studying, housework, or work projects since boring and mundane tasks are more painful to complete than for neurotypical people. By completing activities that release slower dopamine more often, you can train your brain to reach for better-for-you activities that have longer-term benefits instead of ones that will give you a quick rush.
Dopamine Menu Creation-
Designing your curated dopamine menu can help you reach for healthier and more productive activities more often. You can use a piece of paper and pencil crayons, or use a free web design tool like Canva. When you visit a restaurant, sometimes you want small bites, and sometimes you want the whole damn meal plus dessert. Your dopamine menu can be used in the same way, depending on your schedule.
A dopamine menu can be adjusted day by day to your wants and needs. If you only have a little time in your day, you can look for something small in the sides menu. If you have extra free time on your weekends, you can choose something from every category. It all depends on you, how much time you have, and your energy levels.
Appetizers-
Appetizers include things that won’t take up a ton of your time. You can do them in the spare moments throughout your day without having to plan and prepare beforehand. Go for a walk around the block, sit in the sun, or do a quick body stretch. You’ll probably end up reaching for these short bursts of dopamine more often since they should be easier to accomplish.
Appetizer Ideas-
- Stetching
- Quick walk
- Sun bathe
- Phone a friend or family member
- Facial massage or gua sha
- Slowly enjoy a coffee or matcha
- Spend time with your pet
Entrees-
Entrees will be larger, more fulfilling actions that will take more preparation and time. They might take up a larger chunk of your day, so you may only have time for one per day. On certain days (like on weekends), you might do without them altogether. Entrees will be larger tasks like going to a workout or yoga class, taking a long walk, running a bath, or preparing a nice and slow dinner.
Entree Ideas-
- Workout class
- Yoga or pilates
- Take a long walk
- Read a book
- Meditate
- Cook a nice dinner
- Journal
- Run a bath
- Paint, draw, or express creativity
Sides-
Sides are small tasks that you can accompany with another task. They don’t typically take up much time or energy, so there shouldn’t be any barriers to entry with sides. Just like a twice-baked potato… load ’em up. Sides include things like listening to a podcast or music while you clean your space, lighting a candle while you complete your nighttime routine, making yourself a cup of tea to enjoy while you read a book, or putting on your comfort show on in the background.
Side Ideas-
- Light a candle
- Play music
- Put on a podcast
- Plug in your diffuser
- Put on your comfort show
- Light incense
- Make a cup of tea
- Put on a facemask or under-eye patches
Desserts-
Just like dessert, you can enjoy unhealthy things in moderation. Treat the items in the dessert category like a treat that happens every so often but isn’t a habit. Binge-watching your favourite Netflix show, online shopping, getting lost in a social media rabbit hole, having a few glasses of wine, and eating a sweet treat are all dopamine-inducing activities that can be enjoyed with a balanced approach.
Dessert Ideas-
- Doomscrolling
- Binge-watch TV
- Have some wine or drinks
- Have a cheat meal
- Bedrot
Specials-
Specials are things that will only be enjoyed once in a blue moon. They are more of a splurge, and while they can give you a ton of dopamine are not realistic for your everyday life. Going on vacation, treating yourself to a nice dinner out, booking a spa day, or heading to the beach are fun activities that are usually saved for a special occasion.
Special Ideas-
- Go on vacation
- Have a beach day
- Have a spa day
- Go see a comedy show
- Go to a concert
- Treat yourself to a nice dinner out
- Go on a shopping spree
Dopamine Menu Updates-
If there are activities on your menu that you never turn to, just like a restaurant would, swap them out for something that’s more enticing. You can recreate your menu every couple of months to include items that you enjoy and take pleasure in. When you’re excited about what’s on your dopamine menu, you’ll be more likely to reach for it more often. You can also adjust them according to the seasons. Your winter and summer self-care activities may look very different depending on where you live.
Final Thoughts-
Creating a dopamine menu is a cute way to present activities that are more beneficial than getting stuck in an online rabbit hole or negative thought spiral. Since sometimes you know there are better things you could be doing, but you don’t even know where to start, a dopamine menu lays it all out for you. Especially if you’re neurodivergent or have ADHD, finding healthy ways to naturally increase your low levels of dopamine is crucial to having enough energy and motivation to get through your daily tasks.
Depending on how much time you have in a day and your energy levels, you might gravitate to different sections of the menu. Maybe you want a quick appetizer on your lunch break, an entree during your mornings or evenings, a side to accompany your nighttime routine, dessert on the weekends, and specials once in a blue moon. Do one thing on your menu per day or combine a few items for a full-course meal. Your dopamine menu should be completely customizable and tailored to your wants and needs. Hopefully, creating your dopamine menu can help you build healthier habits and increase your overall well-being.
