How to make your dopamine menu
- Go through each course and tap the ideas that genuinely make you feel better — or type your own.
- Keep starters quick (under 10 minutes) so they work even on a busy day.
- Put the things that are easy to overdo — scrolling, shows, games — under desserts, and plan to use a timer with them.
- Print it or save it as a PDF and keep it where you get stuck: by your desk, on the fridge, as a phone wallpaper.
- When you feel bored, restless or stuck, order from the menu — or press Pick something for me.
Dopamine menu ideas
| Course | Ideas |
|---|---|
| Starters | dance to one song, step outside, cold water on your face, stretch, make tea, text a friend |
| Mains | a walk, cooking, a hobby, a call with someone you love, the gym, a chapter of a book |
| Sides | a podcast or playlist, a candle, body doubling, working from a café, a fidget toy |
| Desserts | one episode, 15 minutes of scrolling, a game round, a sweet treat |
| Specials | a day trip, a concert, a new restaurant, a class, a weekend away |
Why it works
When your brain is under-stimulated, it goes looking for the quickest hit — usually the phone. Deciding on something better in that moment is hard, because deciding is itself effort. A dopamine menu moves the decision to a calm moment: you choose your options in advance, and later you only have to pick from a short list. That's the same idea behind planning tools like time blocking — fewer decisions in the moment, more energy for doing.
Sides deserve special attention. Adding something pleasant to a dull task — a podcast while you do dishes, music while you answer email, a friend on a video call while you fold laundry — is often what makes the task happen at all. That last one has a name: body doubling.
Make it part of your day
A dopamine menu works best alongside a simple daily plan. In Tempo, our ADHD daily planner, you can check in with your energy a few times a day and get suggestions that fit how you feel; the bonus pack includes a printable dopamine menu board. Pair the menu with the visual timer so desserts stay dessert-sized.
A dopamine menu is a self-help idea, not medical treatment. If low mood or restlessness doesn't lift, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dopamine menu?
Why is a dopamine menu helpful for ADHD?
What should I put on my dopamine menu?
What's the difference between starters, mains, sides and desserts?
Can I print my dopamine menu?
Does the menu save?
Written by
Finance Specialist & Editor, VaultlyApps
Emma Whitfield writes and edits the VaultlyApps money guides and free calculators. Her focus is US household finance — budgeting on a real paycheck, paying down credit card and student debt, emergency funds and savings goals, renting — and the money side of freelancing and small-business income, from pricing and profit margins to self-employment tax. Every guide is researched against primary sources such as IRS publications and the CFPB, every number is checked in our tested calculators, and tax content is reviewed each year when new IRS figures come out. Emma is not a licensed financial adviser or tax preparer; her work is general education, not personal advice.
Researched against primary US sources, checked against independent calculators and reviewed by a finance expert on our team. Written for US readers — general education, not financial, tax or legal advice. Editorial policy · Disclaimer
