What Is a Dopamine Menu? A Doctor Explains the Viral TikTok Trend and How You Can Build Your Own
A curated list of little things or activities can improve your mood and prevent unhealthy behaviors
It’s easy to sit down and scroll on your phone or grab a sweet treat when you need to recharge. But are they really replenishing your batteries? Typically, these behaviors – like when you spend hours scrolling Instagram or playing endless video games – are unhealthy and the good mood that comes with them is fleeting. That’s why users on TikTok are sharing their dopamine menus — a curated list of little things that improve your mood and prevent toxic habits. Want to make one of your own? Keep reading to hear from a doctor for some dopamine menu ideas and how this viral trend can improve your mental health.
What is a dopamine menu?
Dopamine is known as the feel-good hormone and is associated with the feeling of pleasure. When your levels are high, you feel happy and energized, but when you don’t feel enough, it could make you feel sad, tired and unmotivated. But a dopamine menu – filled with dopamine-stimulating activities that bring you joy – can help with those feelings.
Mike Sevilla, MD, family physician at Family Doctor says a “dopamine menu is a group of activities that would give you a positive dopamine experience, and many would call these positive self-care behaviors.” “For people dealing with mental health disorders, focusing on what makes you feel better can be especially beneficial, as it reduces the chances of people resorting to unhealthy ways of coping, like drinking or doom scrolling social media,” he adds
The concept of a dopamine menu originated a few years back from a YouTube video made by Jessica McCabe, the creator of the YouTube channel “How To ADHD” and author of How To ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working With Your Brain (Not Against It). It’s now blowing up on social media and it’s not difficult to curate your own menu.
How to create a dopamine menu
Similar to a restaurant menu, a dopamine menu has appetizers, entrees, side dishes, specials and desserts. The idea is to “list activities that would give you varying levels of dopamine,” explains Dr. Sevilla. You can get creative with it and add stickers, images or other fun tidbits and it’s all about bringing in more joy. Here, possible activities for each section of the menu:
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Appetizers
The first section of the menu is appetizers and these are small activities that don’t take a lot of your time. “Taking a quick walk, doing a short meditation session or reading one chapter of a book are easy ways to start,” says Dr. Sevila. You can do these multiple times a day or whenever you feel you need a mood boost.
Entrees
“For your main entrée on the dopamine menu, these are activities where you have more time, like going to the gym, going grocery shopping or reading/journaling for an hour or so,” says Dr. Sevilla. This portion is meant to recharge you more than the appetizers and can be prepped in advance.
Side dishes
Sides are helpful for activities that aren’t always the most fun but are still necessary. Dr. Sevilla suggests listening to music at the gym or catching up on TV or a video while you’re doing tasks around the house.
Desserts
This is the part of the menu where you can do the things you love but in moderation. They’re not ‘bad’ per se, but can become unhealthy if you do them too often. These are things like binge-watching a TV show, scrolling on social media or a sweet treat.
Specials
Finally, Dr. Sevilla says the specials menu includes “activities that are infrequent but may be highly anticipated, like going to a concert or taking an extended vacation.”
\Why is a dopamine menu effective?
If you’re struggling with low dopamine levels, it’s important to find activities that can bring up your mood and exhibit moments of joy. “In today’s technological world, it’s easy to spend hours staring at your phone watching social media, and this gives your brain a dopamine hit, but it doesn’t last,” explains Dr. Sevilla.
A dopamine menu, on the other hand, allows individuals — especially those with ADHD or depression — to have a wide variety of activities that can keep their dopamine high for a longer duration. “The dopamine menu is a resource that is prepared in advance, and placed somewhere readily available,” adds Dr. Sevilla.
He always checks in with his patients after they complete an activity from their dopamine menu and most of the time, they feel good about themselves. “However, after scrolling TikTok for hours, they have their dopamine hit, but they do not feel good about themselves,” he says.
While these unhealthy behaviors are inevitable at times, it’s important to find ways to cope with bad days or stress to not spiral into addiction or more toxic habits.
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