What is a dopamine menu?

If you have ever finished a long day, sat down, and found yourself an hour later still scrolling something you are not even enjoying, the dopamine menu was made for that moment. It is a very simple idea with a slightly overblown name.

What is a dopamine menu?

A dopamine menu is a list of things you enjoy, written out like a restaurant menu, to choose from when you need a lift. It is also called a dopamenu. The point is to decide in advance, while you are thinking clearly, what genuinely makes you feel good, so that when you are tired, bored or restless you are choosing from a menu rather than defaulting to whatever is nearest. Usually, that is a phone.

The caveat is in the name. It does not measure, raise or “hack” your dopamine in any precise way. It is a planning tool for your time and attention, nothing more mysterious than that.

Where did the dopamine menu come from?

It comes from a How to ADHD video published on YouTube on 26 May 2020, called How to Give Your Brain the Stimulation It Needs. The video’s description introduces the idea of a “dopa-menu” full of things that give your brain the stimulation it needs, and credits Eric Tivers of ADHD reWired.^[1] ADDitude, an ADHD magazine, credits Tivers, an ADHD coach, with the core idea of separating the planning from the choosing, and Jessica McCabe, who created How to ADHD, with structuring the list like a restaurant menu.^[2]

From there it spread well beyond the ADHD community, particularly on social media, where “dopamine menu” became a popular template trend.

What goes on a dopamine menu?

Five sections, usually, named after courses. As ADDitude describes them:^[2]

• Starters (appetisers). Quick boosts that do not pull you in: a favourite song, a stretch, stepping outside for a minute, a glass of cold water.
• Mains (entrées). Longer, more absorbing activities: a walk, exercise, cooking, playing an instrument, a craft.
• Sides. Things that make a boring task more bearable: a podcast while washing up, music while tidying, working alongside a friend.
• Desserts. Easy, tempting things that are easy to overdo, such as scrolling social media or video games. Fine occasionally; not the main meal.
• Specials. Bigger treats that need planning or money: a concert, a day out, a trip.

The caveat ADDitude stresses is to include only things you would actually choose and can actually do.^[2] A menu full of aspirational activities you never do is just another list to feel bad about. Our list of things to do when bored without your phone is a good place to find realistic starters and mains.

Is a dopamine menu for ADHD?

It started there, but anyone can use one. ADHD is a condition that affects attention, activity and impulse control, and the original video was made for people with ADHD who need more stimulation and can struggle to choose what to do when bored.^[1] The same problem, picking something good when your energy is low, is common to almost everyone.

The caveat is important: a dopamine menu is not a treatment for ADHD, burnout or low mood, and ADDitude says plainly that it does not replace medication or therapy.^[2] This page is general information, not medical advice. If you think you or your child may have ADHD, or you are finding it hard to enjoy anything at all, speak to your GP.

Does a dopamine menu actually work?

Nobody knows for sure, because it has not been studied: a PubMed search on 20 October 2026 found no research testing dopamine menus.^[4] The idea behind it is sensible, though. Choosing in the moment, when you are tired, is hard; a short list made in advance takes that decision away.

The name is a little misleading. Dopamine is often called the “pleasure chemical”, but a well-known 1998 review concluded that dopamine is not needed for the pleasure of rewards themselves, and is more involved in how much we want them and are drawn towards them.^[3] That is actually a useful way to think about a dopamine menu: it is about steering what you are drawn to, not about chasing a feeling. It is also different from a dopamine “detox”, which our piece on whether dopamine detox works looks at honestly.

How do you make a dopamine menu?

Fifteen minutes and a piece of paper is enough. A simple way:

1. List what genuinely lifts you. Not what you think should. Think back over the last month to times you felt good afterwards, not just during.
2. Sort into the five sections. Starters, mains, sides, desserts and specials.
3. Be honest about desserts. Write down your easy defaults, such as scrolling, so you can see them, and decide on a limit.
4. Keep it where you will see it. On the fridge, inside a notebook, as your phone’s lock screen.
5. Edit it. Cross out what never gets picked. Add what works.

Can you make a dopamine menu for kids?

Yes, and children often enjoy making one. Keep it short and visual, use drawings for younger children, and let them choose most of the items themselves. Include screen-free choices at every level: a dance to one song as a starter, building a den or baking as a main, an audiobook while tidying as a side, a trip to a favourite park as a special. A jar of ideas works just as well as a list; our boredom jar ideas are ready-made starters.

If you would like the menu done for you, The Four-Minute Cards are our deck of small screen-free ideas, and The Bored Box does the same job for children.