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A new wave of feel-good wellness is trending—and this time, it’s less “hot girl hustle” and more gentle, low-effort joy.
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, chances are you’ve come across the concept of a “Dopamine Menu.” The hashtag alone has racked up over 134 million views — and it’s not just aesthetic, it’s genuinely helpful!
The Dopamine Menu has carved out a space in the self-care world, offering something simple yet surprisingly effective: a personalised list of mood-boosting activities you can turn to when you need a lift.
But while the concept is having its viral moment now, it actually began with Jessica McCabe, creator of the YouTube channel How To ADHD and author of How To ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working With Your Brain (Not Against It).
In one of her videos, she credits her version of the “Dopamenu” to a suggestion from writer and mental health advocate Eric Tivers.
What started as a tool for managing ADHD—by helping people find accessible, brain-stimulating activities—quickly resonated far beyond the neurodivergent community.
So, What Is Dopamine?
Dopamine is often referred to as the brain’s “feel-good” chemical, but in truth, it’s more about motivation than mood. Rather than creating happiness directly, dopamine plays a key role in how we experience desire, reward, and momentum.
It’s the reason checking something off your to-do list or pressing play on your comfort show can feel so satisfying—it helps drive behaviour by making certain actions feel worth it.
This is especially relevant for people with ADHD, who may have lower baseline levels of dopamine, making it harder to initiate tasks—even ones they genuinely want to do. That’s where tools like the Dopamenu come in: small, intentional actions that gently stimulate that reward system.
A 2020 study co-led by Dr. Michael Frank at Brown University, and funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, found that dopamine directly influences “how the brain evaluates whether a mental task is worth the effort”.
The findings support the idea that motivation isn’t just a mindset—it’s deeply chemical, and for some brains, harder to access without support.
So when you create a Dopamenu, you’re not just curating joy—you’re building a practical, personalised toolkit for emotional momentum.
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How To Create A Dopamine Menu
In her video, Jessica shares a practical and creatively named framework: DOPA, which stands for Design, Omit, Prep, Advertise. It’s a clever reimagining of how to structure your personal menu in a way that’s actually functional, not just cute in theory.
Here’s how it works:
D – Design Your Menu
Start by brainstorming activities that light you up and ones that don’t serve you (but you keep going back to anyway). Jessica breaks hers into five clever categories:
- Entrées – The things that make you feel truly alive (e.g. playing guitar, going to the gym, game nights with friends).
- Appetisers – Quick dopamine bursts that don’t suck you in (like a cup of coffee, 1 minute of jumping jacks, or a 5-minute timer on social media).
- Sides – Enhancements you can add to other activities to make them more fun (think: a good playlist, a fidget toy, making a chore into a challenge).
- Desserts – The habitual go-to’s that don’t usually leave you feeling better (e.g. endless scrolling, mindless eating, zoning out to TV). These are fine in moderation—but probably not the main course.
- Specials – Occasional high-impact treats like concerts, travel, or splurging on a new outfit.
O – Omit Anything That’s Not Realistic Right Now
Not everything you dream up will belong on the current menu—and that’s OK. Just like restaurants rotate seasonal offerings, you can take certain things off your menu if they’re too costly, too complicated, or not working for you right now.
This isn’t a to-do list. If you wouldn’t actually choose it in a moment of low motivation, it doesn’t belong here.
P – Prep Your Ingredients
Jessica points out that restaurants prep ahead of time so customers aren’t left waiting when they’re hungry. Same goes for your dopamine options. If you want to paint miniatures, set up your paint station in advance. If playing guitar helps, leave it out and accessible.
She also suggests creating gentle friction for your less-desirable go-to’s—like putting your phone charger across the room, or deleting a mindless app to make it harder to access.
A – Advertise Your Dopamine Menu
Menus don’t just list food—they describe it, entice you, make it easy to choose. Jessica recommends doing the same with your Dopamenu. Make it pretty. Add it to your phone lock screen. Post it near your bed or fridge. Use a random choice generator if you’re stuck.
The goal is visibility and ease. Because when you’re struggling, decision fatigue is real—and a visual nudge can help you make a kinder, more nourishing choice.
Here’s a Dopamenu I put together using the DOPA method — feel free to save or use it as inspo for your own version.
Final Thought
What started as a clever support tool for ADHD brains has blossomed into something quietly powerful for everyone: a way to take care of yourself without overthinking it.
The Dopamine Menu isn’t about fixing you. It’s about knowing what feels good and giving yourself permission to go there.
So write your menu. Adjust it seasonally. And don’t forget—you can always order dessert. Just maybe not for every meal.