Photo Source: ‘Background’, by Pixabay – Edited via Canva by Sophia Tilbury
‘Bed Rotting’ is a term used heavily across social media, it means to “stay in bed all day and avoid responsibilities”. This can leave you feeling guilty and thinking that you may have wasted your day. University life can make it easy to fall into this cycle, especially after a long week or a big night out. A Dopamine Menu is perfect for these days! Instead of doom-scrolling on TikTok all day, a Dopamine Menu gives you a set of fun and rewarding activities to help boost your mood and energy, that you can fit around your daily routine.
Why Does Dopamine Matter?
Dopamine is one of the four happy hormones in our brains that acts as a neurotransmitter passing messages between nerve cells, it assists in our mood, learning, wellbeing, and concentration. To ensure that our brain gets enough dopamine is very important. University life can often leave students neglecting activities that boost dopamine, so creating a ‘menu’ of activities you enjoy, can be a perfect way to help and create a better lifestyle and improve your wellbeing at university.
How to Build a Dopamine Menu
A Dopamine Menu is a curated list of activities that you enjoy doing, that also give you that mental pick-me-up we all need. It follows the same style as a regular menu, beginning with starters, then mains and lastly, desserts.
Starters are tasks that you can complete in a short time, such as a face mask, a quick room clean or creating a new playlist.
For the main, you want some big activities that you can get lost in, with these tasks, the longer the better as you’ll get a greater feeling of accomplishment after they are completed. Think of activities that you enjoy, or a new hobby you want to try or a habit to start; such as running or painting. To go along with the main, you have sides, they are there to do exactly that, accompany your main activities, whether this is a podcast or calling someone to talk to. You want small activities that you can do alongside the main.
Dessert activities are something you can indulge or treat yourself with, maybe allowing yourself 15 – 30 minutes to scroll on social media, online shop or a grab a little sweet treat.
If you wanted, you could even include a ‘Specials Board’, activities that are special and not always available or doable, perhaps a day trip, a spa day or even a holiday.
Ideas for your own Dopamine Menu
Starters
- Face Mask
- 15 minute room refresh
- Journaling
- Exercise and Movement
- Create a new playlist
Mains
- Yoga Class
- Baking
- Have a games night with friends
- Trying a new recipe
- Go on a walk/hike
- Starting a new book
- Working on a creative hobby (painting, writing etc.)
Sides
- Listen to a podcast/music
- Light a candle
- Call a friend/loved one
Dessert
- Social media scroll (limited…)
- Online shopping
- Enjoy a treat
- Watch a show or movie
Specials
- Massage
- Go to a concert
- Try a new restaurant
- Go on a day trip
- Book a holiday
- Get your nails done
The Science Behind a Dopamine Menu:
For those with ADHD, it can be difficult to start or complete a task, and getting that much needed dopamine boost can make all the difference. The creator of the first dopamine menu back in 2020 was Jessica McCabe, the creator of the YouTube channel ‘How To ADHD’. In her video, she talks about how creating a dopamine menu may help others with ADHD, as this can give their brains the stimulation they need to get more dopamine. A Dopamine Menu can help by being a positive motivator and making it easier to choose activities that offer stimulation and satisfaction without feeling overwhelmed from choice.
Your Dopamine Menu is completely customizable – pick activities that bring you joy. Keep it somewhere visible, like a note on your phone or a sticky note on your desk. Next time you feel you’ve ‘bed-rotted’, choose something from your menu and give your brain that little dopamine boost it needs!
Written by Annie Griffiths
Edited by Sophia Tilbury
