The Dopamine Menu Guide

The Dopamine Menu Guide

By Morgan Toporek - October 24, 2025

The “dopamine menu” is a personalized list or menu of activities, curated to boost your dopamine without relying on addictive habits like doom scrolling on social media. The idea of this list of actions comes from the sustainable approach of regulating and improving mental well-being. There are many ways to tackle the personalization of a dopamine menu, whether you base it on season, time of day, or what is needed most in the moment. The main point of the menu is to make it your own and personalize it to your needs and interests.

Dopamine is a brain chemical that promotes productivity in your body and mind to get things done. It gives you a sense of motivation and accomplishment, which helps you focus and learn, and it is also known as the “feel-good” hormone. Often, when receiving a healthy amount of dopamine, the body will stimulate happiness and energy. On the other hand, the lack of dopamine will elicit moody and unmotivated behaviors.

Just like a typical restaurant menu, the “dopamine menu” is separated into sections, from appetizers and sides to entrees, dessert, and specials.

Appetizers

Think of the appetizers as the starters for your “dopamenu.” These are smaller moments that are easier to include in sporadic ways throughout your day. Examples include: cuddling with a pet, five-minute meditations, enjoying your coffee in bed, journaling, listening to a favorite song or album, trying a new coffee shop, and taking a shower with a candle lit. Most of these create a pause in the midst of chaos throughout the day. Appetizers help you change your pattern and incorporate subtle, enjoyable moments while also being productive.

Sides

The sides on the menu serve the purpose of accompanying other, less enjoyable tasks. FaceTime a friend while getting to the pile of clean clothes that need to be folded, play a podcast in the shower, or listen to your favorite music while studying for an exam. We may not always have time to devote to enjoyable acts, but sides encourage a sense of multitasking. 

Entrees

The entrees are the longer activities that may require more time. In turn, these longer acts are meant to recharge and restore better than the other menu items will. Entree items include: having a girls' night in, taking a pilates class, going on a walk or hike in a new place, cooking your favorite meal, and more.

Dessert

The dessert portion of the menu, like any real dessert, is to be enjoyed in moderation. Not necessarily bad things, but a little something sweet we enjoy that can’t be indulged in every day. Some examples of this would be online shopping, scrolling on TikTok, grabbing drinks with friends, binge-watching a TV show or movie series, and baking cookies.

Specials

Specials on the menu may not always be available or may be expensive. These specials are considered a “once in a while” option. Specials include spa days, vacations, concerts, and getting your hair done. They are necessary every so often, but are meant to be seen as rare, especially within a typical everyday routine.

How to create your personalized “dopamenu”

To find a starting point for your dopamenu, create a list of all the things that bring you joy, whether that be foods, movement, music, media, etc. Next, think about your daily routine and how it affects your mood at different times of the day. What is realistic to add to your daily ritual? How busy are you on a day-to-day basis? Are you busier on certain days rather than others? Start to determine which elements of the menu make sense to you and your schedule.

One thing to note as well is to add and subtract things from your menu when necessary. The menu is used to excite and inspire you, not to become a part of your daily habits.

The “dopamenu” serves to encourage different patterns and activities to divert us from mindlessly scrolling on the internet and social media platforms. Most people turn to social media for dopamine because it is a “quick fix” for a dopamine hit. It is generally more difficult to make decisions in your best interest when your dopamine is low. Next time you feel yourself stuck in a slump, visit your personalized dopamine menu for inspiration to pick yourself up.

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