The internet has been absolutely obsessed with something called the Dopamine Menu and it sounds like it;s gonna bring a ton of happy days for you, but is it really so?

This menu doesn’t exist to fill your stomach, but it’s here to brim your heart with love and mind with joy! If you have been on the “self care” side of Instagram, chances are you might’ve come across the nitty gritties of the dopamine menu. Creators have been gushing over how good it is for your mental health and believe it or not, therapists and life coaches are adding in too.

What is the dopamine menu?

It is a menu that consists a list of all feel-good personalised activities that help spark your mood and bring happiness to your life. Exactly like a brunch platter with all your favourite foods. The whole point is to boost your mind and bring back your smile. So, whenever you are dragging yourself through a slumber and feeling low or unmotivated (or maybe crying on the bathroom floor), this dopamine menu is going to be your bestie picking you up. All you have to do is order what you like from your very own joy menu.

Where does it come from?

Neuroscience met the gods of self-care trends and the dopamine menu took birth. It taps into small, low-effort actions that trigger a small hit of dopamine in the brain (it’s the feel-good chemical). There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the dopamine effect. Everyone can have their own menu full of stuff that helps them find joy in their lives.

Here’s how to create one for yourself:

Think of it as a general menu at your fave cafe: begin with starters, off to main course and end with dessert.

Starters (quick hits of joy): a cold shower, lighting a candle, playing your comfort song, 5-minute stretches

Main Course (bigger energy boosters): a 20-min walk in the sun, dancing and moving your body, journaling for 30 mins, cooking your fave meal

Desserts (pure indulgence): rewatching a childhood favorite, scrolling Pinterest for cozy inspo, doing a face mask

The Day’s Specials (high-impact): calling a friend and venting, trying a new hobby, digital detox for an hour, therapy session

Your dopamine menu has to be appetizing for you. So, you get full liberty to create and cook it however you want. And here’s the best part—you don’t have to wait until you’re in a funk to use it. Think of your dopamine menu as daily nourishment for your mental health. It’s proactive happiness, not just reactive relief.