22/10/2025
As ADHD Awareness month nears an end, I wanted to share one of my favourite tools - the Dopamenu!
What is a Dopamenu?
Put simply, it's a personalised menu for dopamine hits! Those of us with ADHD brains may have less dopamine activity in certain areas (ie. our dopamine fuel tanks often are running on empty). This makes it harder to start tasks, stay on track, or feel motivated or rewarded by everyday tasks and activities.
The good news is that, with awareness, we can learn to engage adaptive and proactive compensatory strategies which can assist with producing these rewards.
One such strategy is the Dopamenu. This is a relatively recent concept introduced by Jessica McCabe & Eric Tivers as a practical tool that can assist ADHDers through a playful lens.
The Dopamenu is a list (or menu!) of dopamine boosting activities that are meaningful and purposeful to the individual. ADHDers can empower themselves through choosing from a list of curated, healthy, adaptive and rewarding activities, rather than chasing random dopamine hits without awareness of how these may actually be impacting long-term outcomes.
I am sharing my Dopamenu design, ready for you to use! There is also a sample Dopamenu to help get you started with ideas 💡
When creating your Dopamenu, remember to think of activities or dopamine boosters that are meaningful to YOU and your interests. Ask yourself - what are my "sparkles"?
Once you have completed the Dopamenu, do an audit... Check the ideas listed are achievable and practical!
Finally, remember that ADHD brains often do well with visuals - keep your completed Dopamenu on your desk/fridge/wall or anywhere easily accessible for when you need it. The idea is that having this readily available means it takes less energy and cognitive load to access (and use) these strategies when you need them most.
