Dopamine Menu — Decide Before You Need To
A free, printable worksheet that pre-builds a menu of actually-available rewards and stimulation, sorted by effort, so regulation doesn’t depend on deciding in the moment. Built for ADHD brains where deciding what would help is often the part that’s broken.
What Is a Dopamine Menu?
A dopamine menu is a pre-built list of activities that reliably provide stimulation, reward, or regulation, sorted by how much effort each one takes. The idea comes out of ADHD community and occupational-therapy practice, built on the observation that in a low-motivation or dysregulated moment, deciding what would help is often the exact function that’s offline.
This worksheet (module EF-06) builds the menu in advance, while you’re regulated enough to think clearly, so that on a harder day the only job left is picking from a list instead of generating options from nothing.
How to Use the Dopamine Menu
- Build it when you’re regulated. Not in the moment you need it — future-you won’t have the bandwidth to brainstorm.
- Sort by effort honestly. A shower and a phone call to a friend are not the same ask on a hard day, even if both “count.”
- Keep the low-effort column stocked. That’s the one you’ll reach for most, especially on the worst days.
- Update it as things change. What reliably works shifts over time; treat this as a living list, not a one-time build.
The Effort-Sorted Menu
Is This a Clinical Term?
Not formally — “dopamine menu” isn’t a DSM term or a validated clinical instrument, it’s a practical tool that came out of ADHD community and occupational-therapy practice. What it draws on legitimately is behavioral activation research, which shows that pre-planning accessible, rewarding activities helps more than trying to generate motivation from a depleted state.
The honesty about effort level is what makes it work. A menu where everything is secretly “medium effort” collapses the first time you’re too depleted to do any of it.
Dopamine Menu // EF-06 // Free PDF Download
Download the Worksheet (PDF)Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t think of anything for the low-effort column?
Start smaller than feels reasonable — “put on socks,” “drink water,” “step outside for thirty seconds” all count. Low-effort items should feel almost too small to write down; that’s the design, not a mistake.
Do I have to know the neuroscience to build this?
No. You don’t need to know the science for the worksheet to work — the categories are practical, not diagnostic. Sort by what you know actually helps, not by what should theoretically work.
How often should I update the list?
Whenever something stops working or something new gets added to your life. A menu built a year ago often has stale entries; a quick revisit every few months keeps it useful.
Is this a substitute for therapy?
No. It’s a self-tracking tool that can support therapy or personal insight work, but it isn’t a treatment on its own and isn’t a substitute for working with a licensed clinician.
Is it really free?
Yes. It’s a free PDF download, no email required.