ADHD dopamine menu template
Quick answer: a dopamine menu is a list of things that lift your energy, sorted like a restaurant menu: starters (5-minute boosts), mains (bigger, more satisfying), sides (add to boring tasks), desserts (fun but easy to overdo) and specials (occasional treats). Write it before you're bored, stick it where you'll see it, and pick a starter before you reach for your phone.
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One page, blank menu with prompts in each section. Free for personal use, no sign-up.
Build yours in 2 minutes
Tick what you'd genuinely do, add your own, then print it or copy it to your phone.
Let AI suggest ideas that fit your life
Help me make an ADHD-friendly dopamine menu. About me: [INTERESTS], [WHERE I SPEND MOST OF MY DAY], [CONSTRAINTS: time, money, kids, work]. Things that usually give me energy: [EXAMPLES]. Things I overdo: [EXAMPLES]. Give me 6 starters (under 10 minutes, doable from home or work), 5 mains, 6 sides I can add to boring tasks, 4 desserts with a suggested time limit, and 3 specials. Keep each item under 8 words. No generic wellness advice.
How to make it actually work
- Make the good stuff easy. Leave the guitar out, keep sneakers by the door, save the playlist to your home screen.
- Make desserts a bit harder. Log out of the app, move it off your home screen, or set a timer before you open it. Try our free visual timer.
- Pair sides with dull tasks. Podcast plus dishes, music plus email. See how to start a boring task.
- Refresh it. Novelty wears off. Swap out anything that's stopped working every few weeks.
Where it comes from: the idea was popularised in a 2020 How to ADHD video by Jessica McCabe with ADHD coach Eric Tivers. For a plain-English look at the evidence, see The Conversation's explainer.
FAQ
What is a dopamine menu?
A dopamine menu (or 'dopamenu') is a personal list of activities you can pick from when you're bored, understimulated or stuck, sorted like a restaurant menu: quick starters, bigger mains, sides you add to boring tasks, desserts to limit, and occasional specials. The idea comes from a 2020 How to ADHD video by Jessica McCabe with ADHD coach Eric Tivers.
What should I put on my dopamine menu?
Things that genuinely lift your energy or mood and that you can actually do from where you are: 5-minute starters (music, a walk outside), mains that fill you up (exercise, making something, friends), sides that make dull tasks bearable (podcasts, body doubling), and a short dessert list of easy-to-overdo things with a time limit.
How do I use a dopamine menu?
Write it before you need it, then put it where you'll see it when you're bored: the fridge, your desk or your phone lock screen. When you feel the pull to scroll, pick a starter first. If a task is dull, add a side. Change items that stop working; the menu is meant to evolve.
Is a dopamine menu a treatment for ADHD?
No. It's a practical self-management idea, not a medical treatment. Some people with ADHD find it helpful for boredom and procrastination. If nothing feels enjoyable for a long time, talk to a doctor, as that can be a sign of something else such as low mood.
Can AI help me make a dopamine menu?
Yes. Give ChatGPT or Claude your interests, energy levels and constraints (time, money, kids, work) and ask it to suggest starters, mains, sides and desserts. Then cross out anything you wouldn't really do. The prompt on this page does exactly that.
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See ProGeneral self-management idea, not medical advice.