Hi friends,
Have you ever heard of a dopamine menu, aka dopamenu?
Although I have not been officially diagnosed, I am fairly certain I've had ADHD my entire life and as I've been learning more about how to manage it, one helpful thing I've come across is something called a dopamenu.
People with ADHD can struggle with dopamine regulation, the neurotransmitter that's known as the “reward center” and plays a part in many body functions, including memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention and more. Research has indicated that, in ADHD brains, dopamine's role of providing a surge of positive feelings and motivating task completion is disrupted.
This is where the dopamenu comes in. It's a list of things you enjoy, which can act as external sources of pleasure and reward. These are the kind of activities I can do to recharge or help me get back into focus mode. Some of them might sound counter-intuitive, but they somehow help me find the motivation to stay on track.
I've read a few pieces where they suggest breaking it down like an actual menu with starters, mains, sides, and desserts, but that doesn't feel right for me, so I've grouped my activities into one main list. Here is what I've come up with:
- Making my daily green juice (this can also be a smoothie or an elaborate breakfast that requires chopping and/or sautéing. The process is very meditative for me.)
- Listening to a podcast while I do something relatively mindless like folding laundry
- Daily movement (getting sweaty is the best, but if I'm low on time or really low on motivation, even just a few downward dogs will do.)
- Working with brown noise in the background (more on this below)
- Brewing a cup of tea
- Getting direct sunlight and being outdoors
- Writing this newsletter
- Drinking water (and enjoying the time it takes to fill my large jar from our fridge filter)
- Making lists
- Calling my mom (hi, mom!)
Living with (undiagnosed) ADHD is honestly a struggle and something I am only now (at 40!) truly exploring. I think back to so many of my unfinished projects, big ideas, and distractions, and it honestly haunts me to know that there were tools I could have used and didn't know about.
I think this is why I've become so passionate about living a healthier lifestyle. For me, it's never (or rarely) been about body image. When I do all the right things, like focus on my self-care practices and eat nourishing foods, it makes a noticeable difference in how I feel mentally. When people ask me what my “why” is, mental health is hands down the number one reason. I'm not saying the process is easy, but once you know your own body well enough to understand how to heal it, it's incredibly empowering to feel the changes. It's always going to be a work in progress, but the effort is always worth it.
How about you? What would you add to your dopamenu?
Have a lovely weekend!
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Love,
Lisa
