How to make a dopamine menu for ADHD
Written from lived experience: gentle self-help, not medical advice.
A dopamine menu is a pre-written list of activities that tend to give you a healthy lift, organised so you can pick one when you're bored, understimulated or about to doom-scroll. It works for ADHD because it removes the in-the-moment decision and offers a better option than the phone. Build it by listing things that genuinely feel good, sorting them into quick 'starters' and longer 'mains', and keeping it somewhere you'll actually see it.
What a dopamine menu is (and why it helps ADHD)
Research suggests ADHD involves differences in how the brain's reward and motivation systems work, which dopamine is part of. It's more complicated than 'not enough dopamine', but many people with ADHD recognise the result: a brain that's always hunting for stimulation, which is how you end up two hours into a scroll you didn't choose. A dopamine menu hands your brain a pre-approved list of better options, so the choice is already made when willpower is lowest.
The idea comes from Jessica McCabe of the How to ADHD YouTube channel and ADHD coach Eric Tivers, who talked about it in 2020. The 'menu' framing matters: like a restaurant menu, it's organised and appealing, so picking is easy and low-effort, exactly what an understimulated brain needs.
The five 'courses' of a dopamine menu
Starters: quick, tiny lifts (2 to 5 minutes): a favourite song, stepping outside, a cold drink, a few minutes of colouring, a stretch.
Mains: longer, satisfying activities (30+ minutes): a hobby, a walk, a project, exercise, cooking something you like.
Sides: things that make a boring necessary task more bearable: music, a body-double, a nice drink while you work.
Desserts: lovely but easy to overdo, so enjoy with a limit: games, social media, a box-set. Naming these as 'dessert' helps you have them on purpose, not by default.
Specials: bigger treats that need planning, money or time, so they can't be everyday: a gig, a day trip, dinner out, a swim at the lido, a haircut you've been putting off. They're something to look forward to, and looking forward is a lift in itself.
Dopamine menu ideas for every course
Starters (2 to 5 minutes): one loud song and a kitchen dance, stepping outside barefoot, a cold glass of fizzy water, a minute of stretching, a few minutes of colouring, smelling something lovely, texting a friend a silly photo, watering a plant, a handful of a crunchy snack.
Mains (30 minutes or more): a walk with a podcast, a craft or hobby project, cooking something new, a bike ride, gardening, a library or charity-shop wander, a swim, reorganising one drawer you actually enjoy sorting, playing an instrument.
Sides (to pair with boring jobs): a playlist that only plays during chores, a body-double call, a nice drink in a favourite mug, an audiobook, a fidget, working somewhere new like a cafe.
Desserts (on purpose, with a timer): a short scroll, an episode of a comfort show, a phone game, online window-shopping. Set a timer before you start so the dessert doesn't become dinner.
Specials (planned treats): a gig or comedy night, a day at the seaside, a spa or nail appointment, a meal out, a trip to see an old friend. Add one to the calendar so it's real.
Free dopamine menu template
The quickest way is the free dopamine menu maker: tap suggestions or add your own into each course, then print it or keep it on your phone. No sign-up needed.
Prefer Word, Google Docs, Notion or Canva? Copy this plain template and fill it in: STARTERS (2 to 5 mins): 1. 2. 3. MAINS (30+ mins): 1. 2. 3. SIDES (for boring jobs): 1. 2. DESSERTS (with a timer): 1. 2. SPECIALS (planned treats): 1. 2. Five courses, two or three ideas each, is plenty. A short menu you'll actually read beats a beautiful one with forty options you scroll past.
A dopamine menu for mums and busy parents
If you're parenting, most lifts need to fit into tiny gaps or work with children around. Lean on starters you can do in a minute while the kettle boils, and sides that make the endless jobs easier: a podcast while you fold, a song the kids can dance to while you tidy, a hot drink you actually get to finish.
Children can have a menu too. Making one together is a lovely way to talk about what helps when they're bored or wobbly, and Our Together-Time Menu is a free version built for doing things side by side. Keep a special on your own menu as well. Looking after yourself isn't selfish; it's part of looking after them.
How to build yours
Brainstorm everything that genuinely lifts you, not what you think should, but what actually does. A brain dump is a great way to get them all out first. Or build one right now with the free dopamine menu maker, then print it for the fridge.
Sort them into the four courses, then keep the menu somewhere visible: a note on your phone, a card on the fridge, a sticky on your laptop. A menu you can't see won't get used.
Using it without overthinking
Next time you feel bored, flat, or your hand drifts to your phone, glance at the menu and pick one thing: a starter if you've two minutes, a main if you've longer. No agonising; just choose.
Update it as you go. Things that stop working come off; new discoveries go on. The menu is meant to be a living, kind tool, not another rule to fail at.
Tools to try
Don't just read it. Do something tiny with it.
The Brain Dump → Do
Empty the snow-globe brain, then pick exactly one thing.
Breathe In, Breathe Out: Colouring Page
A cosy meditating bear to colour and calm down with.
Stop Deciding
A decision-fatigue circuit-breaker for tiny choices.
Common questions
What is a dopamine menu?
A pre-written list of activities that tend to give you a healthy lift, organised into quick and longer options so you can choose one when you're bored or understimulated, instead of defaulting to your phone.
Does a dopamine menu actually work for ADHD?
It can help a lot, because it removes the hardest part (deciding) in the moment your brain is least able to. It won't replace everything, but it's a gentle, practical way to get better stimulation more often.
What should I put on my dopamine menu?
Whatever genuinely lifts you: quick 'starters' like a song, fresh air or colouring; longer 'mains' like a hobby or walk; 'sides' that make boring jobs bearable; 'desserts' like games or social media that you enjoy on purpose, with a limit; and 'specials', bigger planned treats like a gig or day out.
What is the point of a dopamine menu?
It does the deciding in advance. When you're bored, flat or about to doom-scroll, your brain is least able to choose something good for you, so a ready-made list of options you already know you enjoy makes the better choice the easy one.
Is there a free dopamine menu template?
Yes. Mindmallow's dopamine menu maker is free with no sign-up: add ideas to each course, then print it or keep it on your phone. You can also copy the plain five-course template from this page into Word, Google Docs, Notion or Canva.
What are dopamine menu specials?
Specials are the bigger, occasional treats that need planning, money or time, such as a gig, a day trip, a meal out or a spa visit. They sit alongside the everyday courses and give you something to look forward to.
Is a dopamine menu a type of therapy?
No. It's a self-help idea that came from the ADHD community, not a clinical treatment, and it hasn't been tested in formal research. Many people find it useful, but it isn't a substitute for professional support or ADHD treatment.
What's the difference between a dopamine menu and a to-do list?
A to-do list is tasks you have to do; a dopamine menu is feel-good things you get to do. It's designed to refill your tank, not empty it.
What are good dopamine menu starters?
Starters (sometimes called appetisers) are lifts that take 2 to 5 minutes: one favourite song, stepping outside for some air, a cold drink, a quick stretch, a few minutes of colouring, or texting a friend something funny. The best ones need no setup, so you can reach them faster than your phone.
Is there a dopamine menu for kids?
Yes, and it works nicely with children. Make it together, using pictures for younger kids, with starters like a dance to one song, blowing bubbles or a quick drawing, and mains like building something or a bike ride. Letting them choose from the menu gives them some control and makes 'I'm bored' easier to answer.
Who came up with the dopamine menu?
The term is credited to Jessica McCabe of the How to ADHD YouTube channel and ADHD coach Eric Tivers, who discussed it in a 2020 video. It has since spread widely on social media, with lots of people making their own versions.
Is a dopamine menu backed by science?
There aren't studies testing dopamine menus themselves; it's a practical, lived-experience tool. It draws on sensible ideas, like deciding in advance and making better options easier to reach, but think of it as a gentle experiment rather than a proven treatment.
What does dopamine menu mean?
It means a menu of feel-good activities rather than food. 'Dopamine' is shorthand for the lift you get from something rewarding, and 'menu' is because it's laid out in courses, like a restaurant, so choosing is quick. It doesn't literally measure or raise your dopamine; it's a friendly name for deciding in advance what helps.
What is the dopamine menu trend?
It's the idea of writing your own dopamine menu, which spread from ADHD YouTube onto TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, where people share colourful printable menus. The trend makes them look like art projects, but yours doesn't need to be pretty. A plain list you can see from the sofa does the job.
What are dopamine menu entrees?
Entrees is the American name for the mains: the longer, more satisfying activities of 30 minutes or more, like a walk with a podcast, a craft project, cooking something new, gardening or a swim. Pick them when you have time and want a proper refill, not just a quick lift.
How do I make a dopamine menu printable or PDF?
Build it in the free dopamine menu maker, press Print my menu, then choose Save as PDF in the print window. That gives you a free printable of your own menu, with your ideas rather than a stranger's, and no sign-up or email.
Gentle tools for the ADHD brain
Interactive + printable worksheets for adults, teens & little kids.