The Dopamine Menu: Beating the ADHD Slump
If you live with ADHD, you probably know this scene well:
You’ve hit a wall. Your brain feels foggy, your motivation has flatlined, and everything you “should” be doing feels impossible or overwhelming. And yet you still want to do something. You’re restless, bored, frustrated, and maybe you’re stuck in self-shaming about not being productive enough.
Enter: The Dopamine Menu.
This is one of my favorite ADHD-friendly tools, because it takes the guesswork out of those stuck moments. Instead of spinning your wheels (or doomscrolling for three hours and wondering what happened to the day), the dopamine menu gives you a ready-made list of choices that can spark energy, soothe your nervous system, or redirect your focus. Think of it as a restaurant menu, but instead of entrees, you get options for dopamine.
What Exactly Is a Dopamine Menu?
The idea comes from Jessica McCabe of How to ADHD, who popularized it as a way to get unstuck. A dopamine menu is essentially a personalized list of activities that reliably give you a dopamine boost.
The magic is in creating it ahead of time, when you’re calm, resourced, and able to think clearly. That way, when overwhelm, boredom, or decision-fatigue hits, you don’t have to rely on your executive functioning (which, let’s be real, has already left the building). You just glance at your menu and pick something that feels doable.
How to Build Your Dopamine Menu
A good “dopa-menu” usually has a mix of categories. Here’s a framework you can borrow and adapt to your own life:
Quick Hits (5 minutes or less)
Text a friend a funny meme. Do ten jumping jacks. Step outside and breathe fresh air.
Why it works: A little dopamine goes a long way when you’re running on empty.Medium Recharge (10–30 minutes)
Listen to a favorite song on repeat. Make a cup of tea. Take the dog for a walk.
Why it works: Enough time to reset your mood without derailing your whole day.Deep Nourishment (30+ minutes)
Read a novel. Work on a hobby. Cook something delicious. Go for a swim.
Why it works: These activities can shift your whole nervous system back into balance.Emergency Section
Grounding activities for when you’re spiraling. Things like wrapping up in a weighted blanket, or listening to a guided meditation. A weighted blanket activates the parasympathetic nervous system, decreasing stress levels and increasing dopamine and serotonin.
Why it works: Sometimes you just need to unplug and reset when you’re overstimulated, to give your body time to recover from stress and replenish feel-good brain chemicals.
A Real-Life Example
Let’s say it’s Tuesday at 3 pm. You’re staring at your inbox, but your body feels like a lead balloon. You glance at your dopamine menu and see: “Dance break.” You put on a song from your 90s playlist, shake it out for five minutes, and suddenly you have enough energy to tackle one more email before calling it a day.
That’s the beauty of the dopamine menu: it’s not about pushing yourself harder, it’s about giving your brain what it actually needs so you can move forward with a little more ease.
Why a Dopamine Menu Matters
ADHD brains crave novelty and stimulation, but they also burn out fast. Having a customized dopamine menu means you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you need a boost. It turns self-care into something practical, tangible, and even fun.
If you live with ADHD, it’s important to have lots of strategies to help you manage the impact on your health, your work or study, relationships and general wellbeing. Creating a dopamine menu might just be one of the kindest things you can do for yourself.
Try This Today
Grab a piece of paper or open your notes app. Write down at least three activities in each category: Quick Hits, Medium Recharge, Deep Nourishment, and Emergency Section. Or if you prefer, write it out like an actual restaurant menu: appetizers, sides, entrees etc. Post it somewhere visible, like your fridge, bathroom mirror or in a prominent spot on your desk.
The next time your brain hits that all-too-familiar wall, don’t force it. Just check the menu.
Want some inspiration to get started?
Download my free Dopamine Menu Template and fill it in with your own go-to list of dopamine-boosting ideas.
It’s a simple worksheet you can print or fill in digitally, designed to help you reset, recharge, and refocus when ADHD overwhelm hits.
