What’s On The Menu?
Shorter days seem to have arrived with full force this year. We know to anticipate them, but nonetheless it feels like they barged through the door just as we were beginning to enjoy the season. Personally, I have found myself struggling more and more to complete simple tasks the earlier it gets dark outside. I often end up in a freeze response—too overwhelmed to complete my to-do list, and then even more overwhelmed by what I haven’t done. And then the cycle repeats.
Today, I’d like to do something a bit different. I’d like to invite you to join me in an activity, with the hope that it will, in some small way, shake us out of the lethargy and overwhelm that winter often brings.
A few weeks ago, I came across a YouTube video called “How to Give Your Brain the Stimulation it Needs”, from the channel How to ADHD. It caught my attention right away because I had always assumed that feeling overwhelmed and burnt out was a result of overstimulation, not under stimulation. The presenter goes on to explain that when we turn to passive distractions like scrolling through social media or watching TV, our brains are not getting the amount of stimulation they need to provide the dopamine kick that we are seeking. Dopamine is a “feel-good” hormone. It plays a big role not only in pleasure, but in our ability to concentrate and how motivated we feel. At the end of a long day, my instinct is to turn to social media or TV in an effort to let my brain “rest”. But it turns out that those types of activities are draining us even more, as opposed to refreshing us or lifting our mood. Think about it—do you feel joy passing the hours on your phone? Or even satisfaction? Perhaps what we are really looking for is the least taxing way to pass the time. In this video, the presenter suggests a unique way to tackle this issue by making what she calls a Dopamine Menu. The goal of the Dopamine Menu is to provide an easily accessible list of activities (or “bites”, if you will), that you can add to your day to stimulate your brain and release that feel-good hormone. I invite you to take out some paper and a pen so that we can make one together now.
How to Build Your Dopamine Menu
The first step is to separate your paper into the following sections: appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts, and specials. Each section corresponds with the level of commitment involved in the activities you list under them.
1. Appetizers: For the appetizer section, you’ll want to make a list of joyful activities that can easily be inserted into a busy day. They should take between five and ten minutes. For example, a ten-minute walk for some fresh air and movement, a five-minute stretch break, or some work on a coloring page or puzzle.
2. Entrees: Entrees are activities that take a bit more time than appetizers. Calling a friend, cooking a meal you enjoy, or going for a hike are some examples.
3. Sides: This is my favorite section. Sides are things that you can do alongside other tasks. For example, turn on some music while working, or a movie in the background while doing the dishes. Sides are a great way to add little dopamine bursts to your day without feeling like you are falling behind on anything else.
4. Desserts: Desserts are those comfy, low-effort activities that may not be great to do all the time but are good for us in moderation. Sometimes you just need to curl up on the couch and binge your favorite show. It is so important to make space in our lives for pure rest, and simply existing.
5. Specials: This last section is a fun one. Specials are activities that you enjoy that take time and planning. Going to a concert, planning a trip, or spending the day at a museum—anything that excites and refreshes you that you want more of in your life.
Tips and Encouragement
1. Don’t be afraid to get creative! These should all be activities that bring YOU joy. The intention is not to add a bunch of new activities to your life. Trying new things is great. But the goal of this exercise is to choose things you already love and add them into your life in an intentional way.
2. A great way to make sure you use your Dopamine Menu is to keep it somewhere easy to see, like on your refrigerator or in your planner. The easier it is to access, the more likely it is that you will use and benefit from it. This way the next time you are feeling burnt out or under stimulated, you can pick up your menu and let it do the work for you. Having a pre-made list of options will alleviate some of the decision fatigue that often stops us from doing joyful activities altogether.
Congratulations, you did it! I hope that you finish this activity feeling more equipped, confident, and excited to keep your brain stimulated and your heart happy.