Feb 26, 2025
A dopamine menu is a new coping skill people are using to manage their ADHD, depression, and other mental illnesses. The trend, which was popularized by a Youtube channel called “How to ADHD” by Jessica McCabe, seeks to hack the brain’s dopamine system. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, helps manage pleasure, reward, and memory. Many mental illnesses, including depression and ADHD, are thought to be caused in part by dopamine deficiencies.
Because of the way dopamine works in the brain and how it interacts with mental illnesses, a dopamine menu can be a powerful coping skill for those struggling with dopamine deficiencies, including ADHD and Depression. It can also be a good option for people working to decrease their screen time and increase their attention span and life satisfaction.
This is part of our “Healthy Coping Skills” Series. Read the second part of the series—How to Use the Emotion Wheel—here. Or, start the beginning with “What Are Healthy Coping Mechanisms?”
What is a dopamine menu?
A dopamine menu is a list of activities that bring you long-lasting pleasure (dopamine), ranging from low-energy, low-reward activities to high-energy, high-reward activities. For example, scrolling is very low-energy and brings quick dopamine, but is not rewarding in the long run. It should be indulged sparingly, like a dessert. Going for a run or hanging out with a friend, on the other hand, takes more time, energy, and intention. It may be difficult to get started in these activities, but they are very rewarding and offer sustainable dopamine.
The dopamine menu is cleverly divided into 4 categories: Appetizers, Mains, Sides, and Desserts, just like a menu!
- Appetizer: Quick activities that provide a good energy boost.
- Main: Time-consuming activities that are highly rewarding and add value to your life.
- Side: Activities you can add to boring or understimulating tasks to make them more bearable.
- Dessert: Indulgent, “quick fix” activities that provide a hit of dopamine but are not good for you if you overindulge.
The idea is to choose activities from your dopamine menu (or dopamenu) throughout the day much like you would a menu at a restaurant. This provides a steady stream of dopamine and helps prevent executive dysfunction or energy crashes.
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Does a dopamine menu help with ADHD?
Yes. A dopamine menu is an effective coping skill for many people with ADHD, as well as people with depression. People with ADHD have lower-than-average levels of dopamine, which means they are constantly seeking sources of dopamine. This is why they may fidget more, get off task, and chase the high of new activities before their current one is done. The dopamine menu understands this behavior and uses it to its benefit. It “hacks” the ADHD brain, so to speak.
Dopamine menus are also helpful for people with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Depression is also a dopamine-deficient disorder. One of its symptoms is that nothing seems fun anymore, even activities that used to bring you joy (a symptom called anhedonia). A dopamine menu can serve as a reminder of what you enjoy doing and provides the structure to do those things. For example, it might feel good to binge your favorite reality TV show, but 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 as well.
At its core, a dopamine menu is a fun, easy way to conceptualize healthy coping mechanisms. It can be hard to remember your coping skills and hobbies when you’re in the middle of scrolling social media or in a depressive episode. A dopamine menu can help.
Examples of a dopamine menu
Here are some examples of the four parts of a dopamine menu. Use these ideas to build a dopamine menu that works for you.
Appetizers
Appetizers should be quick and relatively easy to accomplish. Sprinkle appetizers throughout your day to keep your dopamine levels steady.
- Drinking a cup of coffee
- Listening to your favorite song
- Going for a walk
- Doing some stretching or meditation
- Eating a snack
- Completing a brain puzzle
- Petting your dog or cat
- Bird or people-watching
Mains
A man should be anything that makes you feel alive. Usually, these are activities closely related to your sense of identity and are things you look forward to, but don’t always have time or energy to do.
- Talking with a friend
- Working on an art project
- Learning something new
- Exercising (doesn’t have to be running or lifting weights, go to a dance class or bouldering gym for a fun change of pace!)
- Journaling
- Getting a massage, haircut, or your nails done
- Listening to a riveting podcast or reading a good book
- Going on a date
- Making an extravagant meal
Sides
Sides can help you get through the mundane, dopamine-less activities you have to do, like chores or mindless work.
- Listening to fun music
- Listening to a podcast
- Your favorite snack or drink
- Playing with a fidget
- Listening to an audiobook
- Body doubling—being around other people who are also working, like a friend or strangers in a coffee shop
Desserts
Desserts can be used as a reward or a treat. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in dessert, but only using desserts will make us feel gross.
- Scrolling social media
- Watching mindless TV or YouTube videos
- Playing video games or phone games
- Eating something sugary or expensive
How to build a dopamine menu
It’s important to adjust a dopamine menu to your needs. For example, maybe playing video games with friends is a way to connect with your favorite people and is more of an appetizer or main than a dessert. That’s great! The goal of a dopamine menu is to hack your own brain into making you feel good and do the things that you value.
Here are some steps to create a dopamine menu that works for you:
- Be realistic: Maybe “Budget” is one of your Mains right now. Is that really something you’re going to look forward to? It might be more of a task that you need to utilize sides to get through. Or maybe going to concerts is something highly valuable. Is it realistic to be able to choose that from your menu often? It may be more of a special event than a main item.
- Prep for your menu: There’s nothing worse to a neurodivergent brain than being really excited to do something and then being faced with the prep activities. Try to prepare for your dopamine menu beforehand by keeping the necessary supplies on hand and planning ahead if you can.
- Keep your dopamine visible: Print out your dopamine and make it look fun with bright colors or fonts. Then place it in areas you know you’ll see it! In your bathroom, on your desk, or by your coffee or tea maker are good options.
- Adjust as necessary: Maybe your sides aren’t that enticing, or your desserts don’t have enough boundaries around them. After a few days of working with your dopamine menu, readjust as needed. Change up the items when they start to get dull.
A dopamine menu can be a powerful tool to help manage ADHD, Depression, and other mental health issues. However, like all tools, it is not enough on its own. Healthy coping mechanisms, a strong support system, medication, and therapy are all other avenues towards health and recovery.
Lifebulb counseling has online therapists specializing in neurodivergence, ADHD, and Depression. We also have psychiatrists who can diagnose and prescribe medication. For more information, reach out to our team or browse our list of therapists near you.
