How this viral trend can improve your happiness

Your daily boost of dopamine is served.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I love it because I get inspiration for new recipes, Lagree routines, and life hacks that inspire my creativity. On the other hand, if I’m not “demure” about it, I end up in a doom scroll.

Ironically, while on said doom scroll, I came across people’s Dopamine menus, and wanted to dive deeper into this mood boosting hack.

**What is Dopamine?**

Dopamine is a hormone and a type of neurotransmitter (think of a chemical messenger) that is made in your brain. The nervous system uses this neurotransmitter to send messages from your brain to your body and between nerve cells. Many people refer to dopamine as the “feel good hormone,” because it’s how we feel pleasure and rewards.
When you do an activity that makes you feel good, your brain releases a rush of this hormone. If you’ve ever heard of the term “runner’s high,” it’s that same concept; your brain releases a rush of endorphins after accomplishing something that makes you feel good.

There’s also a tricky part with dopamine; it doesn’t have a filter between beneficial and destructive activities (ie doom scrolling). Think back to the last time you reached for your phone and started scrolling because you were looking for a short-term reward. Next thing you know, an hour had gone by and that little reward you gave yourself in the moment ended up making you feel worse.

Create your Dopamine Menu

The term dopamine menu, or “dopamenu,” was coined by Jessica McCabe, creator of the YouTube channel How to ADHD (watch the video here!). The concept is a list of dopamine-stimulating activities to reach for instead of reverting to mindlessly scrolling on social media. Jessica breaks them down into four categories: appetizers, entrees, desserts and snacks.

Appetizers are quick, easy activities that give you a fast dopamine boost without taking too much time. Things like doing a short meditation, going for a quick walk, or reading a few pages of a book perfect when you are low on time, but you need a quick pick-me-up.

**Entrees** are more of a time and energy investment and require a little more effort or planning. Examples include treating yourself to a pedicure, going to a workout class, or playing golf. They take more planning but come with bigger rewards.

**Snacks** are the passive activities that can be done while multitasking. These are things like listening to music, podcasts or meditations while driving or getting ready. They seamlessly blend into your routine without needing extra time.
**Desserts** are the dopamine-boosting treats that should be enjoyed in moderation. Social media is a perfect example – great in small amounts, but overindulgence can make you feel worse.

Here’s a preview of my dopamine menu. Take a moment to create your own and share it on social media – I’d love to see what activities are giving you a boost!