You’ve spent another hour scrolling TikTok or Instagram, and somehow feel worse than before. Sound familiar? The problem isn’t you—it’s how your brain’s reward system has been hijacked. Enter the dopamine menu: a personalized list of activities that actually fill your cup instead of depleting it.
It’s 8 PM on a Wednesday. You’ve finished work, eaten dinner, and now you’re sitting on your couch with your phone. You open Instagram “just for a minute.” Thirty minutes later, you’re still scrolling through videos of people’s vacations, recipes you’ll never make, and trending dances. You finally put your phone down, but instead of feeling relaxed or energized, you feel… depleted. Unmotivated. Maybe a little anxious.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And the problem isn’t that you lack willpower or discipline. The problem is that your brain’s reward system—specifically, a neurotransmitter called dopamine—has been hijacked by a perfectly designed distraction machine.
The good news? There’s a surprisingly simple tool that can help you reclaim your motivation, boost your mood, and actually feel fulfilled: the dopamine menu.
Understanding Dopamine: It’s Not What You Think
For years, dopamine was called the “pleasure molecule” or “feel-good hormone.” But modern neuroscience has revealed that dopamine is less about pleasure itself and more about anticipation, craving, and drive.
According to neuroscience research, dopamine is what makes you want something, not necessarily what makes you enjoy it. The actual pleasure or satisfaction you feel when you receive a reward is processed by other neurotransmitters, like endorphins or serotonin. This distinction between “wanting” and “liking” is critical to understanding behavior.
Dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter—a chemical released by neurons to send signals to other nerve cells. Within the brain, it functions partly as a global reward signal. When you pursue a meaningful goal, anticipate something rewarding, or experience something pleasurable, your brain releases dopamine.
According to Cleveland Clinic, dopamine plays a crucial role in many body functions:
- Motivation and reward: Dopamine is part of your reward system, designed from an evolutionary standpoint to reward you for behaviors necessary for survival
- Behavior and cognition: Influences decision-making and focus
- Movement: Essential for motor control
- Memory and learning: Helps reinforce behaviors and create memories
- Mood regulation: When balanced, contributes to feeling happy, motivated, alert, and focused
- Sleep and arousal: Plays a role in wake-sleep cycles
The Dopamine Problem
Here’s where it gets tricky. Each time you repeat a behavior that delivers a dopamine reward, you strengthen the neural pathway that connects the cue to the action. This is why habits are so hard to break.
According to dopamine researchers, different activities trigger different levels of dopamine release. Eating sugar or scrolling social media might cause large, immediate spikes, while completing a task or exercising creates more moderate, sustainable increases. The problem? Those big spikes are followed by crashes, leaving you feeling worse than before.
When dopamine levels are unbalanced—whether too high or too low—you may feel tired, unmotivated, unhappy, and experience memory loss, mood swings, sleep and concentration issues.
What Is a Dopamine Menu?
A dopamine menu (or “dopamenu”) is a personalized menu of activities designed to deliver healthy hits of dopamine to your system. The concept was co-coined by Eric Tivers, a licensed clinical social worker and ADHD coach, who described it as “kind of a creative project meets… a list of strategies to use.”
According to Mayo Clinic’s ADHD expert Dr. Robert P. Wilfahrt, a dopamine menu is actually a rebranding of what psychologists previously called behavioral activation—ways to get yourself to do what’s best for you, instead of what you feel like doing in the moment.
The key insight? When you’re doing something enjoyable, your brain releases dopamine and you naturally seek more of that feeling. The dopamenu provides an easy formula to help you identify activities that are both fulfilling and make you happier in the long run, rather than just providing quick hits followed by crashes.
Who Is It For?
While originally designed for people with ADHD—whose brains tend to produce less dopamine than average—a dopamine menu is useful for anyone, including those with depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), anxiety, or other conditions where low dopamine is a factor.
According to mental health experts, depression is also a dopamine-deficient disorder. One of its symptoms is anhedonia—nothing seems fun anymore, even activities that used to bring you joy. A dopamine menu can serve as a reminder of what you enjoy doing and provides the structure to do those things.
Even if you’re neurotypical, a dopamine menu can help if you’re feeling emotionally depleted, overstimulated, or simply want to increase your attention span and life satisfaction while decreasing screen time.
The Benefits of a Dopamine Menu
The first benefit is timing: making the menu when you’re feeling good means you don’t have to think of what to do when you’re bored, understimulated, or feeling down—the worst time to be making those decisions. It’s like making a grocery list before you shop and not going when you’re hungry.
Other benefits include:
- Breaks the doomscroll cycle: Provides healthier alternatives to social media and other quick-hit dopamine sources
- Reduces decision fatigue: You already know what will help when you need it
- Increases productivity: When mentally satiated and releasing healthy dopamine, you tend to be more productive and fulfilled
- Combats avoidance: Helps break the vicious cycle of struggling with tasks, feeling bad, getting flooded with remorse, and having an even tougher time completing tasks
- Supports mental health: Provides actionable ways to improve mood and prioritize mental well-being
- Creates sustainable motivation: Unlike quick dopamine spikes from scrolling, activities on your menu provide more moderate, lasting increases
How to Create Your Own Dopamine Menu
The beauty of a dopamine menu is that it’s completely personalized. Your menu is unique to your interests and lifestyle. While you can organize it any way you like, the most popular approach is to lay it out like a restaurant menu with different categories.
Step 1: Brainstorm What Brings You Joy
According to psychotherapist Rachel Goldberg, LMFT, start by thinking about what makes you happy and gives you that “kick” of dopamine. Focus on activities that genuinely resonate with you and make you feel better. You don’t need to understand the brain chemistry—what matters is that you notice you feel good during and especially after the activity.
Consider items such as:
- Mindful movement (walks, dance parties, bike rides)
- Creative outlets
- Social connections
- Novel experiences
- Rest and recovery
If you’re coming up short on ideas, do a quick Google search for “dopamine menu” to spark creativity. Many people have created and posted their menus online.
Step 2: Organize Into Categories
Grab a pen and paper (or open a note on your phone) and create these categories. The distinction between categories is less about the amount of dopamine released and more about the activity itself—the level of involvement, time, and effort required.
Appetizers/Starters
Quick things that don’t take long that you can utilize at the start of your day or during a break to help focus and center yourself. Think: quick bites “that won’t suck you in or make it hard to stop.”
Examples:
- 5-10 minute walk around the block
- One-song dance party in your living room
- Quick stretching or yoga flow
- Making a cup of tea or coffee mindfully
- Petting your dog or cat
- Lighting a candle
- 10 minutes of quiet meditation or deep breathing
- Journaling for 5 minutes
- Looking at photos that make you happy
- Stepping outside for fresh air
Mains/Entrees
According to dopamine menu guides, these are the more significant tasks that produce more dopamine. These tasks are great for long days when you’re doing something mentally intensive or need a mental refresher. They typically take 30 minutes to a few hours.
Examples:
- Going for a run or workout session
- Working on a hobby (painting, crochet, woodworking)
- Cooking a new recipe
- Reading a few chapters of your book
- Having a meaningful conversation with a friend
- Practicing an instrument
- Gardening
- Working on a creative project
- Deep cleaning or organizing a space
- Taking a long bath with a podcast or audiobook
Sides
These are activities you can do while doing something else—things that make unpleasant tasks more pleasant. They help boost long-term productivity by producing an experience that appeals to the senses.
Examples:
- Listening to music or podcasts
- Watching your favorite show (while folding laundry, etc.)
- Talking on the phone with a friend
- Drinking your favorite beverage
- Using a walking pad or stationary bike while working
- Burning a favorite candle or incense
- Having a snack you enjoy
- Racing against the clock (gamifying boring tasks)
Desserts
These are things that are tasty in moderation but make you feel yucky if you have them too much. According to experts, these tasks produce quicker hits of dopamine with less work, but they can be more challenging to quit, so they should be limited when focusing on productivity.
Examples:
- Scrolling social media (with a timer set!)
- Eating actual dessert or junk food
- Playing video games
- Binge-watching TV shows
- Online shopping
- Checking your phone notifications repeatedly
Specials
These are like specials at a restaurant—not always available and typically cost more (time, money, or resources). These activities give you the biggest boosts of dopamine, but because of cost or time, can only be done occasionally.
Examples:
- Taking a vacation or weekend getaway
- Getting a massage or spa treatment
- Attending a concert or show
- Going on a day trip or hike
- Taking a class you’ve been wanting to try
- Splurging on a nice dinner out
- Attending a sporting event
- Hosting a dinner party or game night
Step 3: Make It Accessible
According to implementation experts, your dopamine menu should be easy to access—like a picture on your wall when you’re getting ready, or on your mobile device. Keep it visible where you’ll actually see and use it.
You can:
- Create a note in your phone
- Make a pretty poster for your wall
- Keep a card in your wallet or planner
- Set it as your phone or computer wallpaper
- Create a Pinterest board
How to Use Your Dopamine Menu
The key is to actually use it. Here’s how to make it work:
1. Set Time Limits (Especially for Desserts)
According to Mayo Clinic experts, activities on your dopamine menu should provide a burst of enthusiasm, not be something that sucks you in. Consider setting a timer—perhaps for an unusual interval like 13 minutes and 17 seconds. Enjoy the boost and get back to what you need to do.
2. Use It Preventatively
Don’t wait until you’re deep in a doomscroll or depressive episode. Use your dopamine menu when you feel like you need a mood boost, are struggling with motivation, or want to enhance your overall sense of well-being.
3. Balance Your Choices
A dopamine menu can help you make sure you get a Main (like talking with a friend) and a few Appetizers (like going for a walk or taking a shower) in your day, not just Desserts (like binge-watching reality TV).
4. Identify Your Slumps
Identify when you hit the biggest slump during your day and plan to partake in one of your Main entree items. This can bring you out of that low point and reignite productivity.
5. Remember: Return to the Hard Task
This is crucial. While activities on your dopamine menu are meant to be enjoyable, don’t forget to go back to the hard task. The journey to the dopamine menu is meant to provide a burst of enthusiasm, not to be an escape.
A Sample Dopamine Menu
Here’s what a professional woman’s dopamine menu might look like:
Appetizers (5-15 minutes):
- Walk around the block
- Dance to my “Energy Boost” playlist (3 songs)
- Make matcha latte
- Cuddle with my cat
- 5-minute breathing exercise
- Water my plants
- Look through vacation photos
Mains (30+ minutes):
- Go for a run in the park
- FaceTime with my sister
- Work on my watercolor painting
- Cook a new recipe
- Read my current book
- Do a yoga class
- Organize my closet
Sides (pair with other tasks):
- Podcast (while cleaning)
- Music (while working)
- Audiobook (while commuting)
- Flavored sparkling water
- Favorite candle burning
- Call a friend (while walking)
Desserts (in moderation only):
- Instagram (15-minute timer)
- TikTok (10-minute timer)
- Reality TV episode
- Online shopping (browsing only, 20 min)
- Dark chocolate square
Specials (occasional treats):
- Weekend trip to the Hudson Valley
- Massage at my favorite spa
- Broadway show
- Dinner at the new restaurant I’ve been wanting to try
- Concert tickets when my favorite artist tours
The Science Behind Why It Works
A dopamine menu works because it leverages how your brain’s reward system actually functions. According to neuroscience research, when you set specific, attainable goals, your brain anticipates the reward and releases dopamine even before you achieve it.
Breaking large ambitions into smaller milestones creates a series of dopamine-driven wins that build momentum and reinforce motivation. This is exactly what your Appetizers and Mains do—they provide achievable activities that deliver dopamine in sustainable ways.
Additionally, dopamine can be harnessed for long-term goals when you link it to meaningful pursuits rather than instant gratification. This creates a feedback loop that sustains motivation over time.
Beyond the Menu: Supporting Your Dopamine System
While a dopamine menu is powerful, you can also support your dopamine system in other ways. According to Cleveland Clinic, natural ways to boost dopamine levels include:
- Eat dopamine-building foods: Foods high in magnesium and tyrosine (an amino acid precursor to dopamine) include chicken, almonds, apples, avocados, bananas, beets, chocolate, green leafy vegetables, green tea, lima beans, oatmeal, oranges, peas, sesame and pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, turmeric, watermelon, and wheat germ
- Regular exercise: Proven to increase dopamine according to research
- Get enough sleep: Poor sleep disrupts dopamine balance
- Practice mindfulness and meditation: Activates the prefrontal cortex and strengthens self-control
- Spend time in nature: Walking outdoors boosts dopamine naturally
- Listen to music: Particularly music that brings you joy
- Manage stress: Chronic stress disrupts dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine balance
When to Seek Additional Support
According to mental health professionals, a dopamine menu can be a powerful tool to help manage ADHD, depression, and other mental health issues. However, like all tools, it’s not enough on its own.
If you’re experiencing persistent symptoms such as:
- Chronic low motivation or anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure)
- Severe mood swings
- Significant sleep disturbances
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating on daily tasks
- Feelings of hopelessness or depression
Consider reaching out to a therapist or psychiatrist. Healthy coping mechanisms like a dopamine menu work best when combined with a strong support system, and when appropriate, therapy and medication.
Making It Stick
Creating your dopamine menu is one thing. Actually using it is another. Here are strategies to make it a lasting habit:
Start Small: Don’t try to use every item on your menu immediately. Start with one Appetizer per day and build from there.
Track What Works: Keep notes on which activities genuinely boost your mood and which don’t. Your menu should evolve over time.
Share It: Tell a friend or partner about your dopamine menu. Having accountability helps.
Update Regularly: Your interests and needs change. Revisit your menu every few months and update it.
Be Honest About Desserts: If you find yourself turning to Desserts constantly, examine why. Are you avoiding something? Do you need more Mains and Appetizers in your day?
Celebrate Progress: Each small win triggers healthy dopamine release and reinforces your progress. Notice and appreciate when you choose a walk over a scroll.
The Bottom Line
Your brain craves dopamine. It’s designed to. The question isn’t whether you’ll seek it—it’s where you’ll find it.
Social media companies, food manufacturers, and game designers have spent billions of dollars figuring out how to hijack your dopamine system. They’ve gotten very good at it. The result is that you reach for your phone without thinking, scroll for hours without meaning to, and end up feeling worse than when you started.
A dopamine menu is your defense. It’s a simple, personalized tool that helps you redirect your brain’s reward-seeking behavior toward activities that actually fill your cup. Instead of quick hits followed by crashes, you get sustainable boosts that improve your mood, motivation, and overall well-being.
You don’t need a perfect menu. You don’t need to use it flawlessly. You just need to start. Right now, grab your phone or a piece of paper. Write down three things from each category. Put it somewhere you’ll see it. The next time you feel that urge to mindlessly scroll, look at your menu instead.
Your brain is looking for dopamine. Give it something worth finding.
Related Articles: For more wellness strategies, explore WMN Magazine’s article on work-life integration without burning out. Looking to build your support system? Check out our guides to NYC women’s professional networks, mental health support services, and community support resources.
Need help with career decisions? Read our Career Strategy articles on knowing when to leave your job and building a valuable skill stack. For financial wellness, explore our Money section on creating systems that work. Looking for lifestyle improvements? Check out our Living section on building a wardrobe that pays for itself and our NYC City Living guide.
