Dopamine menu
general journal junk
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idealog
A new thing has been popping up of late - a dopamine menu - an intentional list of things you keep and update as necessary that you indulge in when you need a mood boost for any reason, when you need a stress break, when you're feeling burnt out or tired, and to help you rediscover the enjoyment of small things, in the everyday.
It generally includes:
- Starters/Appetisers - quick things that take little time, maybe 10 or 15 minutes, sometimes tasky rather than enjoyable, but you still get the same charge from it or completing it - like having a snack, a short walk, a quick tidy up.
- Mains/Entrees - things that take more time and effort, maybe an hour or more - like hobbies, exercise, and so on.
- Sides - things that you can do with other things, like more boring tasks, to make them more enjoyable - like listen to music or a podcast while you clean.
- Desserts - things you enjoy but which will lose their effectiveness to impact you positively if you do them too much or too often.
- Specials - big ticket items that you do less frequently - like going out for a spa day, eating out, or even travel.
You can certainly create this list in whatever format suits you, but many are setting it up like an actual menu, or at the very least decorating the page to make it more colourful - making even looking at the page itself a bit of a dopamine hit. Remember to go over it once in a while to keep things fresh as needed.