Over the past month of trying to cut out social media, it’s been important to find alternative habits to replace my social media use. While replacing social media with binge watching reality TV sounds fun (and is definitely something I’ve done plenty of times)… The whole point is to create healthier habits. Healthy habits like going on a run, working on hobbies, or reading, are incredible, but don’t always sound as appealing as doomscrolling. So, I needed to find a way to make healthy habits more appealing. What better way to do that than creating a fun, colorful, exciting dopamine menu?
How to Create a Dopamine Menu
First of all, what even is a dopamine menu?
A dopamine menu is a list (in “menu” format) of healthier habits that increase dopamine.
Creating a dopamine menu is a great option if you are trying to cut back on social media. (Or other activities that flood your brain with dopamine then cause you to crash and crave more later on.)
Read more on how social media releases dopamine and has potential addictive effects here.
While I think social media is totally fine in moderation, it’s personally hard for me to moderate. If I’m scrolling on TikTok or binge watching YouTube, it’s all too easy to mindlessly spend hours upon hours on the app.
So, creating a dopamine menu allows you to find other healthy habits that increase dopamine, to get that same positive feeling without the negative consequences that come from doomscrolling.
Dopamine Menu Sections
You can personalize your own dopamine menu to fit your needs.
The sections included on my personal dopamine menu:
- Starters/Appetizers
- Main Course
- Sides
- Desserts
The reason I chose these 4 sections for my dopamine menu is simple. It gives me plenty of options of healthy habits to pick from, depending on how much time I have. Let’s break it down…
starters
The Starters section is for quick activities I can get done in 5 minutes or less and get a little boost in my energy/happiness.
Main course
After that, we have the Main Course section, which includes activities that generally take a bit longer.
For example, I’d include a quick 5-minute meditation in the Starters section. But I’d include going on a run in the Main Course section.
sides
In addition to the Main Course section, I have Sides. The Sides complement the Main Course activities and would be done at the same time.
For example, if I choose a Main Course of going on a walk, I would choose a Side of listening to music or a podcast.
If I chose a Main Course of working on the blog, I could choose a Side of drinking a cup of coffee.
desserts
Finally, we have the Desserts section. This is the section of activities that I’m trying to cut back on, but still am okay with having in moderation. For example, I’d include scrolling on social media in the Desserts section (if I’m not trying to cut it out of my life completely.)
That way, I can still get my social media fix, but only for a limited amount of time.
To achieve this, you can set app time limits on your phone. Or, even better, only use a desktop for social media and set a timer for how long you can be on.
My Dopamine Menu
I’d recommend Canva for creating your own dopamine menu. They have a ton of menu templates on there that you can choose from.
Here’s my dopamine menu I created (from a template on canva):
If you want to use my Dopamine Menu, you can download it for FREE here. I’ll even include a option where none of the habits are filled out yet, so you could write in your own habits.
That’s all folks!
I hope you enjoy the dopamine menu and get as much out of it as I have!
Let me know in the comments what your favorite healthy habit on your dopamine menu is. 🏃🏼♀️
Comments will only be open for a month after a post goes live now. Unfortunately, I had to disable fully open comments due to a ton of spam comments coming in. But you can always send me an email if comments are closed and you want to get in contact. 🙂
If you enjoyed this blog, you’ll also love:
- “Good” vs. “Bad” Habits 🍏
- Thoughts on Social Media & Digital Minimalism 📱
- How to Become a Morning Person (Easily) ☀️
- NEW YEAR RESET | Decluttering, Goal Setting & Mindset Shifts 🌱
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