Have you heard the phrase dopamine menu and wondered what it is or how to make one?
I’ll show you how I made my own dopamine menu with ideas for starters, sides, main courses, specials, and desserts! You can make your own list of items to inspire you whenever you need a pick-me-up. Either use it as a checklist or just to brainstorm something fun to do when you are feeling down.
What is a Dopamine Menu?
A dopamine menu is essentially a list of ways to increase your happiness and pleasure. Some of the ideas on the list are quick hits – 5 minutes or less activities that will make you feel accomplished or raise your heart rate a bit. Other items on the menu are more involved and may require planning or an hour of your time.
How to Create a Dopamine Menu
You’ll want to break your menu out into sections with the following:
Starters
These are quick and easy options that take 5 to 10 minutes. They can include anything like doing a quick set of stretches, having a healthy snack, taking a hot shower, doing a quick tidy, doing a round of sudoku, etc.
Sides
Your sides will be anything you might enjoy as an addition to what you’re already doing. For instance, if you’re cleaning your house, you may want to listen to an audiobook, or if you’re doing the dishes, you can listen to your favorite podcast, watch a TV show and knit, or light your favorite candle while taking a bath.
Main Courses
These options are a bit more involved and may take 45 minutes to an hour (or more)! You could include things like going out for dinner with friends, taking an everything bath, trying a new recipe, going for a hike, taking a long drive, or rearranging a room in your house.
Specials
You can make these anything out of the ordinary, but for my list, I used ideas for things that would require prior planning or an appointment. This would be things like getting a massage or your nails done, going to a concert or play, or hosting a dinner party.
Dessert
These ideas are ones that are lots of fun in moderation but can start to feel like too much if you do them too often or for too long, like scrolling on TikTok or binge-watching a show.
Make Your Own List
Your dopamine menu can include whatever you’d like, but make sure to include a variety of attainable and realistic things you know make you feel great. Include a few bigger or bucket list ideas only if they won’t make you feel like you’re missing out!
You can make a list in your notes app or journal or do a collage-type artsy list!