A personal menu of small and large things that help me feel more like myself — to look at when motivation is thin or I'm not sure what to do next.
A dopamine menu is a list I build for myself — things I can choose from when motivation is thin, when I'm understimulated, or when I need a way to feel okay that doesn't leave me feeling worse afterward.
It is not a to-do list. Nothing on this menu is required. It works the way a real menu works: I look it over, notice what sounds good in this moment, and pick something.
My six menu sections
My menu
A clean view of just what I've chosen — without the starter ideas I haven't picked. Useful for printing, downloading, or reading on its own.
Let the menu pick for me
When I don't know what to pick, the menu can pick for me. I can narrow by category, or let it choose from anywhere.
Tap a button above to draw something from my menu. If I haven't built my menu yet, I can head to Build my menu first.
About this menu
How to use it
Build my menu — tap any starter idea that sounds like me, and it moves to my "My own" list. I can also type in my own items.
Pick something — when I'm stuck, the menu picks for me. I can pick from a specific category, or anywhere.
The menu saves automatically. It will be here next time.
A few things to know
There's no right number of items. Two ideas per category is plenty to start.
The point is what actually works for me, not what should work.
If something feels good in the moment and bad an hour later, it probably belongs on a different list.
I can revise this whenever I want. The menu changes as I change.
A note on dopamine
"Dopamine menu" is the popular name for this practice — it caught on because dopamine is the brain chemistry most associated with motivation, anticipation, and wanting. The menu is not a neuroscience prescription. It's a simple way to notice what kinds of small actions help me re-engage with my life, and to make those options visible to myself when motivation is low.
Some of the items on my menu will feel rewarding in the usual sense. Others will feel quiet and steady — more like coming back into my body. Both belong here.
One more thing. If many days in a row feel flat, heavy, or distant, and the menu isn't opening anything up — that's worth bringing into therapy. The menu is a tool, not a substitute for the deeper work of understanding what's going on underneath.