A dopamine menu: your fuel for getting things done

Motivation is often a matter of finding the right fuel. For ADHD, the brain runs on dopamine, and when the tank is low, starting anything feels impossible. A dopamine menu is a list of activities that reliably give you a boost.

How to build a dopamine menu

• List the activities that reliably give you energy — a walk, music, a favourite snack, a quick game, a chat with a friend.
• Organise them by how long they take: a two-minute boost, a ten-minute reset, a longer recharge.
• When you're stuck or low, pick one from the menu and do it for a few minutes.
• The point is not to avoid work — it's to find the fuel that lets you start.

Why it helps with ADHD

A dopamine menu turns 'I can't get started' from a wall into a decision: pick something from the menu, do it for a few minutes, and the momentum often follows.

The ADHD planner includes a dopamine-menu page you can print and use.