What Is TikTok’s Viral “dopamine Menu”?
If you’re losing motivation to do anything other than scroll on your phone, TikTok, ironically, may offer a solution: create a dopamine menu. It’s not entirely clear from the fancy name what this even means, but there is no shortage of videos explaining the concept. Essentially, you create a list of things you love to do or things you need to do, as long as you get a small burst of satisfaction or joy from them, and then return to it when you feel stuck. Here’s what you need to know about the new viral trend.
Why is there a menu here?
First of all, the dopamine menu is actually what it sounds like, which is like a restaurant menu. You have appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts and specials. Each of these categories serves a specific purpose: to help you determine which activities fall into which category. You’re familiar with how restaurant menus work, so these groups can help you figure out how much time and energy each action might cost you. Here’s what each means:
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Snacks are small activities that will quickly make you feel satisfied and happy without taking up a lot of time or effort. A walk or a cup of coffee can be a great snack.
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The entrees are still available, but require a little more from you. If texting an old friend is the appetizer, then dinner with an old friend is the entree. Think of it as an activity that pays off a little more. For example, going to the gym is a satisfying meal because it requires more of you than a snack, but it also gives you a big reward at the end.
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Sides are activities that work together with another task. Perhaps cleaning your bedroom might be your first task since you feel accomplished when it’s finished, but it’s still hard work and can be frustrating, so listening to a podcast or favorite artist while cleaning might be considered a side effect.
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Desserts are treats that you don’t always “order” but actually appreciate when you do, like taking a bubble bath or splurging on something off your Amazon wish list. Takeout can become dessert. Then again, if you really enjoy cooking, preparing a delicious meal can literally be the first course. How you sort things depends on how much effort they require from you personally and how big of a reward you think the reward will be.
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Specials are similar to desserts, but are less available and frequent. A trip to a museum may be dessert, but going on vacation will be special. They are more resource intensive than standard self-care methods, but should leave you feeling happy and fulfilled.
What do you do after you’ve created your dopamine menu?
It’s better to write it down somehow. A contributing factor to why these menus have appeared all over social media is that there is a call for manual menu creation. If you’re the creative type, creating one using paper, markers, stickers, and other art supplies might even be a tempting activity for you.
Once you’ve created your dopamine menu, you keep it handy so that when you feel low on energy or joy, you can pull it out and choose from it, just like you would in a restaurant. Depending on how “hungry” you are to do something and how much time and energy you have to “spend”, you choose what you want.
The goal here is to create some structure so that you can review a ready-made list of things that will boost your mood, motivation, and overall happiness. You tend to deprive yourself of the opportunity to claim that you just can’t think of anything to do on a day when you’re bored or bored. Spending some time thinking about what truly makes you happy, or what will please you when it’s finally taken care of, reminds you that there’s still a lot to do, so even planning the menu itself can trigger a little dopamine.
I decided to try it. Here’s what I came up with:
It’s actually been harder than I thought because many of the things I do for self-care and fun—like taking classes, meeting about personal matters and projects, going to beauty salons, or going on trips—are scheduled. in advance and are not suitable for the daily hunt for dopamine. I had to think of tasks that I enjoy and that are available on any given day when I’m feeling down. I was impressed that I was able to come up with so much, but I warn you that it will take some time. Ultimately, it was nice to see a variety of things that made me happy.