I don’t spend a lot of time on TikTok. I’m afraid of it, actually—afraid of being sucked into that oddly compelling vortex, further diminishing my old-school research brain. Advancing years are already doing no favors to my attention span. Luckily, I have Gen Z nieces who back-channel links to interesting things for us to do together. Like make a dopamine menu.
The original idea comes from Jessica McCabe, creator of the YouTube channel, How to ADHD. The concept is simple: You make a list of dopamine-stimulating activities designed to promote maintainable well-being instead of quick hits. You group them like restaurant offerings: appetizers (easily accomplished in a short burst of time), entrées (requiring more planning and time), sides (done in tandem with a larger task, like listening to a favorite author on audiotape while cleaning), desserts (indulgences better undertaken in moderation), and specials (longer events, done on occasion).
What started out as a bit of a lark—and opportunity to review menus with my nieces, swapping dopamine-enhancing activity ideas—has become my most effective productivity system. And I’ve tried them all: The Pomodoro Technique and time blocking; atomic habits and the miracle morning. I even tried eating the frog, which lasted one day.
The dopamine menu approach
But this menu approach is working. Maybe it’s because I am a former food writer, but an organizational structure based on menu-ordering principles makes my goals, ideas, and activities easier to incorporate into my life.
One of my persistent personal goals (and failures) was 20 minutes of daily stretching. Each time I transferred it from one to-do list to another as uncompleted, I felt disappointed in myself. But as an “appetizer” selection, a series of five-minute stretches done as regular work breaks, I finally hit the target. And because that physical and mental accomplishment felt so good, I joined a Tai Chi practice in a nearby park, now a dopamine-boosting activity in my entrée category.
I’ve also adapted this menu structure so I can apply it to my work life. As a researcher for C-suite executives, I do a ton of reading from a wide range of resources. At any given moment, I have at least 50 bookmarked links to review and sort and send to the right client. Managing all this information used to feel overwhelming, but now I take an appetizer approach: I reread just a few articles at a time and send them off to the most relevant recipients. (When I know a client is boarding a long flight, I might even send a small reading pod, something they would never have time for in their office.) This one strategic shift led to better communication with my regulars, which added to my value and has already resulted in one retainer renewal.
Five-star results
Is my “menu” producing neuro-chemically proven dopamine? Don’t know; don’t care. What I do know is that when I feel better, I work better, and when I work better, I feel better.
The dopamine menu technique opened channels of organizational energy I’ve not experienced with other standardized productivity systems, despite their popularity and promises. It’s an invitation to improve, to order up a blended day of personal and work possibilities that suits my appetite. What may appear as small differences has produced outsize results, lighting up my brain, even on darker days.