50 Dopamine Menu Ideas to Improve Your Mood

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Do you find yourself doom-scrolling social media or binging reality TV more often than you’d like? While a bit of screen time is fine, spending all your free time on your screens instead of doing something you love can make you feel anxious, unmotivated, and sad. A dopamine menu is a new trend that has taken over our TikTok FYPs and we’re totally here for it. It’s all about curating a list of things you love to do so you can get off the apps, off your couch and spend your time doing activities that bring you joy and boost your productivity. Here are 50 dopamine menu ideas and how to create a list of activities that’s perfect for you!

What is a Dopamine Menu?

Before we get into the dopamine menu, let’s first talk about dopamine itself. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that affects emotions, behaviour, movement, and memory. It also acts as a hormone. It’s known as the “feel good” hormone, giving you a sense of pleasure. When you’re doing something pleasurable (winning a race, having sex, playing with puppies), your brain releases a large amount of dopamine, making you feel good and motivating you to continue with good habits.

A dopamine menu is essentially a list of activities that make you feel happy and stimulated, and trigger your body’s dopamine response. It contains activities tailored to your specific preferences to elicit a feel-good feeling. Think: taking a long walk in your favourite neighbourhood, soaking in a bubble bath, or journaling. It’s intended to be used when you need a mental break or pick-me-up, in place of doom scrolling on your phone or binging 5 hours of reality TV.

Writing out a dopamine menu can be a helpful way to figure out what would be most beneficial for you in any specific moment. It removes the mental energy of figuring out what to do to help yourself, and helps you feel more energized when going through your daily routine. It allows you to choose an activity that fills your cup without getting bored in the selection process or doing the same activities over and over.

Dopamine menus have become increasingly popularized for those with ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). It’s thought that in those with ADHD there may be problems in the brain’s reward system, leading to a dopamine deficiency. A dopamine menu can be helpful for stimulating the hormone in the brains of those with ADHD. Whether you have ADHD or not, a dopamine menu may be just what you need to get more done on a daily basis and improve your mood.

What Are the Benefits of a Dopamine Menu?

Heightens your energy levels
Increases motivation
Boosts productivity and help beat procrastination
Enhances your mood
Increases your overall happiness
Makes it easy to figure out what you need when you need a dopamine boost
Helps when you’re feeling down, overwhelmed or unmotivated

How to Make a Dopamine Menu

The most important part of creating your dopamine menu is curating it to your personal interests and needs. Write down a list of things that bring you joy (you can always add in or remove items as you go) and once you have your final list, organize them into categories and create your menu. A dopamine menu is split up into starters, mains, sides, desserts, and specials, just like a menu at a restaurant.

Starters: short, quick activities that give you an instant boost. Example: cuddling your pet or stretching.
Mains: longer, more time-consuming activities that give you a bigger dose of dopamine. Think: cooking a homemade meal or going for a long walk or run.
Sides: activities you can do alongside chores to make them more enjoyable. Example: listening to a podcast or calling a friend while cleaning.
Desserts: activities that make you feel good in the short term, but not if you overdo it on them. Example: online shopping, scrolling social media, or buying a sweet treat.
Specials: activities that are more expensive so less frequent, but more rewarding. Think: taking a vacation or going to a concert.

You can decide how you want to physically create your dopamine menu. You can write it out as a list, draw it out on paper, create it on Canva or even use a premade template.

How to Use a Dopamine Menu

To ensure you use your dopamine menu when you need it, place it somewhere you’ll always see it. This could be at your desk, your makeup vanity, or beside your bed. The next time you feel bored, uninspired, or ready to procrastinate, choose something off your dopamine menu and get the boost you need!