I recently came across this Tiktok video where this creator shared the concept of a dopamine menu. What is a dopamine menu you may ask? No, it’s not some brand new pop-up that would have people lining around the corner for. Well, it kind of is now. The dopamine menu is an assortment of healthy activities that people choose to do in an attempt to stimulate their brains. The concept was introduced by Jessica McCabe, a Youtube creator, in 2020 where she suggested that the menu could be a tool that could help individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By creating a “menu” they would be able to easily find things that would aid in their need for stimulation, ultimately avoiding boredom.
As a teacher, I can see how lack of stimulation can affect behavior in the classroom. It is important for me to be able to give my students those multiple outlets for stimulation in hopes of them discovering and establishing which one works best for them. And as an adult, living in such a fast-paced society and job, it is very easy for me to become overstimulated which tends to negatively affect my mood and decision-making skills. If we are not quick to notice the signs and effectively address this, it will be challenging to pull ourselves out of it. It is interesting to see people latching on to this now, because of this growing movement/following/awareness on the importance of rest. We want the slow life, but while we are unable to attain that, we look toward activities that provide us an opportunity to recharge.We cannot pour from an empty cup.
I think that the dopamine menu is a wonderful way to keep ourselves accountable of our time without the pressure to perform and expect good results out of it. Many self-help concepts would be just too daunting for my brain from the get-go and this stops me from trying to see if it would work. But, the dopamine menu provides a way to make getting over that initial slump a little bit more bearable by combining something familiar (a menu) with things that are personal to us (our favorite activities).
So how does one go about making theirs?
When constructing your menu, all you have to do is think about you and what makes you feel good. The dopamine menu is typically divided into 4 parts, like you would in a typical restaurant setting: 1) Starters, 2) Sides, 3) Mains, and 4) Desserts.
Starters: Quick activities that can be done in 5 minutes or less. From what I’ve seen and read, your starter could be something that you’d like to do but also things that you don’t like to do so much but know would still give you that quick dopamine hit. (example: tidying up your desk or taking a 5 minute walk)
Sides: These are things that you can add to the task to make it more enjoyable for yourself. (example: listening to music or lighting a candle)
Mains: These activities tend to be more time consuming but should be what you are passionate about. The mains can be your interests and hobbies. (example: journalling or painting)
Desserts: You know the saying “you can’t have your cake and eat it too?” Activities under your dessert section are great, but we can’t have more than what is reasonable. (example: shopping or watching a tv series)
And some people even add a fifth one: Favorites. These are things that you can only do once in a while (or more if you’re blessed that way eyy). Examples for this would be to go on a vacation or attend a concert.
With 2024 being such a big year for me, professionally and personally, it has been important for me to learn and relearn certain activities and routines to incorporate in my life. So I thought about it for a while and I’m happy to share with you Leonna’s Dopamine Menu:
In this journey through my waiting season I have realized that life is not always supposed to be taken seriously. This lesson has been such a struggle to accept because of my constant desire for perfection and relevance. As I write this, I sit back and laugh at the spontaneity of life as my first ever post on my Substack is all about a feel good menu.
But, I think I just got a hit of dopamine.
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Jessica McCabe’s video on the dopamine menu!