Dopamine menu: how to make one that works for ADHD

A dopamine menu is a list of activities you've chosen ahead of time for the moments you're bored, stuck, restless or low, written like a restaurant menu so you can pick one instead of reaching for whatever's closest (usually your phone). The idea is popular in the ADHD community because it moves the decision to a calmer moment. When you're already flat, you don't have to think; you just order.

The name is informal. It's not a medical treatment, and it won't fix ADHD. It's a practical tool for making better choices easier to reach.

Why it helps

When you're understimulated, the easiest option wins: scrolling, snacking, another episode. Those aren't bad, but they rarely leave you feeling better, and an hour can disappear into them (see time blindness).

A menu helps in two ways. It gives you a short list of options you already know work for you, and it sorts them by how much time and energy they take, so you can pick something that fits the moment.

How to make your dopamine menu

1. List what genuinely makes you feel better

Spend five minutes writing down things that reliably lift your mood, energy or focus. Think about movement, music, people, food, nature, making things, small wins. Only include things that work for you, not things you think should work.

2. Sort them into four courses

Course	What it is	Time
Starters	Quick boosts that take almost no effort	1–5 minutes
Mains	Activities that refill you properly	20 minutes or more
Sides	Things to add to a boring task to make it bearable	While you work
Desserts	Enjoyable but easy to overdo (scrolling, TV, games)	Set a limit

Some people add Specials: bigger treats saved for occasionally, like a concert or a day trip.

3. Keep each course short

Five to eight items per course is plenty. A menu with 60 options brings back the decision problem it was meant to solve.

4. Put it where you'll see it

A menu you have to find won't get used. Keep it on the fridge, as your phone's lock screen, or as a page in your planner. Update it when something stops working.

40 ideas to start from

Take what fits and cross out the rest.

Starters (1–5 minutes)

• Stand up and stretch
• Step outside for one minute of fresh air
• Put on one favorite song, loud
• Drink a glass of cold water
• Text someone a funny photo
• Do 10 jumping jacks
• Make a cup of tea
• Water a plant
• Splash your face with water
• Tidy one small surface

Mains (20 minutes or more)

• A walk without your phone
• Cook something simple you enjoy
• A workout, dance class or bike ride
• Call a friend
• Read a chapter of a book
• Draw, paint, knit or build something
• Play an instrument
• Garden or repot a plant
• A shower with a good playlist
• Go somewhere new nearby

Sides (add to a boring task)

• Music or a playlist made for focus
• A podcast or audiobook
• Working next to someone (in person or on a video call)
• A fidget toy
• Standing up or pacing while you work
• Working in a café or a new spot
• A timer, to race the clock
• A favorite drink or snack beside you
• Background noise or rain sounds
• Nice pens or a new colorway in your planner

Desserts (set a limit first)

• Social media
• A TV episode
• Video games
• Online shopping (browsing)
• YouTube
• Phone games
• News
• Group chats
• Online forums
• Napping (if it tends to run long)

Making it stick

Pair the menu with your planning. When you check in with yourself in the morning and your energy is low, pick a starter before you start the day's one thing. When a task feels impossible to start, add a side to it. Plan a main into days that feel heavy.

The Did-It Club ADHD digital planner includes a Dopamine menu template among its 20 bonus templates, alongside a low-energy day, a stuck task page and a time check. Daily pages start with a quick energy check-in, so you can see at a glance when it's a starter kind of day. It works in GoodNotes, Notability, Samsung Notes and other PDF apps.

This guide shares a self-help technique, not medical advice. If boredom, low mood or restlessness are affecting your daily life, a doctor or ADHD specialist can help you find the right support.