# Dopamine Menu for ADHD: What It Is, Examples, Template *A dopamine menu is a pre-written list of activities that lift your energy, sorted into starters, mains, sides and desserts. How to build one, with examples.* URL: https://orbit.groot-apps.com/guides/dopamine-menu/ By Aron de Groot · Published 10 September 2026 · 3-minute read In short A dopamine menu is a pre-written list of activities that reliably lift your energy or mood, organised like a restaurant menu: quick starters, bigger mains, sides to pair with boring tasks, desserts to enjoy in moderation, and occasional specials. It was popularised by Jessica McCabe's How to ADHD channel. It works because it moves the decision to a good day — so on a flat day you choose from a list instead of defaulting to your phone. Key facts - A dopamine menu is a personal list of energising or calming activities, sorted like a menu: starters, mains, sides, desserts and specials. - The idea was popularised by Jessica McCabe's How to ADHD channel. - It works by deciding in advance, when you are calm, what to do when you are flat or restless. - "Dopamine" is used loosely: the menu is about choosing rewarding activities, not about topping up a chemical. - Desserts — scrolling, games, snacks — belong on the menu, clearly labelled, rather than being the only option. ## What a dopamine menu is A dopamine menu is a list you write in advance of activities that reliably lift you — your energy, your focus, your mood — organised like a restaurant menu. It was popularised by Jessica McCabe on the How to ADHD YouTube channel, and it has since spread widely through ADHD communities. The point is simple. When you are flat, restless or stuck, you are in the worst state to decide what would help. Your brain reaches for whatever is easiest and most immediately rewarding, which is usually your phone. A dopamine menu moves that decision to a good day, when you can think clearly, so a bad hour has somewhere better to go. ## A note on the name "Dopamine" is shorthand, not neuroscience. Dopamine is involved in motivation and reward, and ADHD is associated with differences in dopamine signalling, which is one reason tasks with no immediate payoff feel so hard to start — the dopamine and motivation guide goes further. But a dopamine menu does not measure or "top up" anything. It is a list of rewarding activities. That is useful enough on its own. There is also no direct research on dopamine menus. The idea rests on better-established ground: decisions made in advance are easier to follow, and people with ADHD often need more immediate reward to get going. ## The sections | Section | What goes here | Examples | |---|---|---| | Starters | Quick boosts, under 5 minutes | One favourite song, 20 jumping jacks, a cold drink, stepping outside, washing your face | | Mains | Bigger, more fulfilling, 20+ minutes | A walk, a workout, cooking, a hobby, calling a friend, playing an instrument | | Sides | Things that make boring tasks bearable | Music or a podcast during chores, a fidget, a standing desk, a candle | | Desserts | Enjoyable, easy to overdo | Social media, games, a favourite show, snacks — with a limit | | Specials | Occasional, need planning | A concert, a trip, a class, a day out | The menu idea also gives desserts an honest place. Scrolling is not forbidden; it is labelled as dessert, which makes it a choice rather than a default. ## How to build yours 1. Write it on a good day. Twenty minutes, when you feel reasonably normal. You will not be able to think of anything on a bad day — that is the whole point. 2. Only include things you actually do. Not what you think you should enjoy. If you have not done it in a year, it is a wish, not a menu item. 3. Make starters genuinely tiny. Under five minutes, no equipment, no travel. Starters are what you will actually use. 4. Put it where you will see it. On the fridge, as your phone's lock screen, next to the sofa. A menu in a notebook in a drawer will not be ordered from. 5. Revise it every month or two. What worked in spring may be boring by autumn. Novelty matters with ADHD, so let the menu change. ## How to use it - When you are stuck before a task: pick a starter, then start the task. A starter is a bridge, not a replacement. - When you get home drained: a starter and then a main, instead of three hours of dessert. The after-work routine builds this in. - During boring work: add a side — a podcast for the dishes, music for admin. - When you notice you have been on dessert for an hour: do a starter to break the loop, then choose again. ## Common mistakes - Making it aspirational. A menu full of meditation and journaling you never do is a guilt list. Write down what really works. - No starters. If every item takes an hour, you will never order from it. - Treating desserts as failure. They are on the menu. The goal is choosing them, not banning them. - Hiding it. Visibility is half the tool — out of sight is out of mind. ## Where Orbit fits A starter works well as the first step of a routine: one song, then the routine begins. In Orbit you can add a short timed "starter" step to the beginning of any routine, so the bridge into a task is built in, and the current step shows on your Lock Screen while you do it. Orbit is a routine app, not a medical device, a diagnosis or a treatment. Nothing here is medical advice. If ADHD symptoms are affecting your daily life, talk to a qualified clinician. ## Frequently asked **What is a dopamine menu?** A dopamine menu is a personal, pre-written list of activities that reliably give you energy, focus or calm, organised like a menu: starters (quick boosts), mains (bigger, more fulfilling activities), sides (things to pair with boring tasks), desserts (enjoyable but easy to overdo) and specials (occasional treats). It was popularised by Jessica McCabe of How to ADHD. **What are examples of dopamine menu activities?** Starters: a song you love, a few jumping jacks, a cold drink, stepping outside. Mains: a walk, a workout, cooking, a hobby, calling a friend. Sides: music or a podcast while doing chores, a fidget, standing desk. Desserts: social media, a game, a favourite show — fine in measured amounts. Specials: a concert, a trip, a class. **Does a dopamine menu actually work?** There is no direct research on dopamine menus as such. The idea rests on better-supported principles: decisions are easier when made in advance, and people with ADHD often need more immediate reward to get going. As a planning tool it is low-risk and many people find it useful; the "dopamine" part is shorthand rather than neuroscience. **Why is it called a dopamine menu?** Because dopamine is involved in motivation and reward, and ADHD is associated with differences in dopamine signalling. The name is a loose metaphor — you are not measuring or boosting dopamine levels, you are choosing activities that feel rewarding. ## Sources and further reading - Dopamine menus: the science behind the trend – and how it might help people with ADHD — The Conversation - Using a dopamine menu to stimulate your ADHD brain — ADDitude - Dopamine — Wikipedia ## Orbit builds these routines for you Orbit is an ADHD routine builder for iPhone: templates instead of blank screens, an ambient orb that runs each step with you, and streak freezes so a missed day doesn't undo a month.