Ideas & Tips
5 min
What Is a Dopamine Menu And How to Build Your Own
In spring, I love working from cafes to meet people. And while I was working on the new version of Jomo, I overheard people behind me talking about a new trend: the dopamine menu.
So I didn’t waste a second, I looked into this new trend and decided to go a little further for you. And I made a few other discoveries too, but we’ll talk about those later… ooh, I can’t wait.
Goal: understand it, but also be able to recreate this trend, which for once is actually pretty good. So as usual, get comfortable, because we’re going to take the time to train our brains a little by asking real questions, and we’re going to make them sweat a bit by getting to work. Ready?
But before going any further, let me introduce myself. The little voice talking to you is Laureline, designer and co-founder of Jomo. Since 2022, my days have been entirely dedicated to you, and my mission is simple: helping you take back control of your phone, and your time. So if you need a little help, download Jomo for free.
Dopamine Menu: What Is It?
If you’re like me and trends fly by before you can even keep up, then this article will be useful. Otherwise, it’ll be a chance to maybe go a little deeper than just watching a few videos here and there.
The term “dopa-menu” may seem a little trendy and not very scientific at first, but it actually describes a pretty interesting approach: collectively taking back control of our attention. Yes, you’re not the only one feeling constant mental fatigue, an inability to focus, or a compulsive need to check your phone every 2 seconds.
The “dopa-menu” is a concept created in 2020 by Jessica McCabe on YouTube, from How To ADHD, and it later became popular on TikTok.
The concept is fairly simple: see your brain like a stomach, and prepare in advance a list of activities with different “calorie” values to nourish it in a healthier way throughout the day. The goal? Say goodbye for good to automatic scrolling, especially compulsive phone use.
Why Is It So Interesting?
Now, put like that, your reaction might be: yeah, okay… But think about it for two seconds. If tomorrow you could no longer use TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other apps, what would you do with your day? What activities would you do?
That’s when a lot of people realized they had no hobbies, no passions, and sometimes very few interests. Their daily lives had been built and filled almost entirely with short vertical content. They hadn’t had time to do anything else. And then comes that huge feeling of emptiness, which isn’t exactly easy to face without panicking.
That’s why this trend exploded: it helped people who felt lost bring structure and direction back into their daily lives. It helps shift the mindset from “I shouldn’t scroll anymore, but I don’t have the motivation” to “I don’t need my phone because I can do this instead, and I actually want to do it.” Psychologically, that’s much more effective, especially when motivation isn’t always there.
What Does a Dopa-Menu Look Like?
As I explained above, a dopa-menu is like a restaurant menu. But instead of dishes, you’ll find activities. It’s a clear, simple, accessible way to present information, especially in situations where your brain is vulnerable.
Art by SHIHO
Appetizers
These are quick and easy activities. Goal: get a little stimulation without turning it into a whole project. Here are a few examples:
Go outside for 5 minutes.
Drink a coffee in the sun.
Do a few stretches.
Write one notebook page.
Organize one drawer.
🥘 Main Courses
These are longer, more immersive activities. Goal: challenge your mind a little more, while giving it quality nourishment over the long term. Here are a few examples:
Read 1 chapter or 20 pages.
Cook a meal or bake a cake.
Walk for at least 20 minutes.
Do a workout, even 15 minutes.
Draw something.
Play a piece of music.
See friends for at least 20 minutes.
🍨 Desserts
These are sweet, pleasant activities that feel good to consume, but in moderation. Goal: we’re not eliminating screens, we’re consuming them moderately to avoid excess, just like sugar. Here are a few examples:
Watch one episode of a show on Netflix.
Watch one YouTube video, at least 10 minutes long and ideally educational.
Play video games, preferably cozy and calm ones.
Use social media intentionally, while avoiding “For You,” “Explore,” “Reels,” and similar tabs.
🍯 Specials
These are rarer activities, but ones that hold a lot of personal value and can create a moment of self-reflection. Goal: reconnect with who you are and who you want to become. Here are a few examples:
Watch a sunset.
Go swimming.
Take photos outdoors, in nature or around architecture.
Go for a bike ride.
Write your thoughts in a notebook.
Go to a cozy, comforting cafe.
Does It Work Psychologically?
Actually, yes, pretty much. Because scrolling often isn’t really our choice. It’s our brain switching into “automatic” mode and going, “Hey, this action feels good, I’ll do that instead of challenging myself.” It looks for a quick reward, minimal effort, and maximum stimulation. And today, the smartphone almost always wins.
So when your dopa-menu is ready in advance, it becomes an excellent escape route. No need to think too hard, you just choose an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. 🍨
How to Create a GOOD Dopa-Menu?
There are several things to keep in mind if you want to create a good dopa-menu:
Make it based on YOUR desires and YOUR abilities. Forget pre-made lists from Pinterest and Instagram. If it isn’t connected to who you are, there’s very little chance it’ll work. Especially because putting your phone aside will already require change, so don’t add another layer by forcing yourself to do activities you never do just to give off a “that girl,” “be a lion,” or whatever kind of vibe.
Make it REALISTIC. Forget anything that requires a long trip, buying specific things every time, turning your whole home upside down, and so on. There needs to be as little friction as possible.
Make it FOR YOURSELF. Avoid putting pressure on yourself, don’t share it on social media, and do it privately and intimately so you don’t start comparing yourself to some random person.
Then, it needs to match your energy level. Obviously, you won’t have the same motivation to start something when you’re exhausted at the end of the day as you would on a motivated Monday morning.
🪫 When you’re exhausted: listen to an album, read a comic book, walk for 10 minutes, water your plants…
🪫 When you have a little energy: read 20 pages of a novel, bake a cake, go for a bike ride, call a loved one, like a grandparent, friend, or parent, organize a drawer…
🔋 When you have energy: work on a creative project, like painting or drawing, go for a long walk, 1 hour or more, do a workout, 20 minutes or more, make something with your hands, learn something…
Art by Steph Meade
What Do You Gain From Doing All This?
Well, not money.
Jokes aside, you won’t gain anything material. But you will get back not only time, but more importantly, mental space. We don’t always realize it, but scrolling doesn’t actually make us feel better. That’s a false impression. We’re not clearing our minds, we’re filling our brains with noise.
Here are a few benefits people describe on forums and in comments:
Days that feel longer and richer overall.
A calmer, more peaceful mind.
More ideas and more positive intuition.
Less anxiety, less pressure, especially social pressure, and more stable emotions.
A better ability to focus.
But remember one thing: reducing your screen time will not make you lose anything. You won’t lose life time, opportunities, or friends. People who care about you will find another way to reach you. Opportunities will also exist in “real” life.
How Do You Make Your Phone Take a Back Seat?
Of course, resisting your phone isn’t always easy. We agree. And that’s exactly the problem: we’re trying to resist. But in reality, we need to look at things differently.
To do that, we’re going to make a pact with ourselves and our phones, to define rules and create a framework. And for that, there’s nothing better than Jomo, available for free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Suggestion 1: Unlock Only If You NEED To
Instead of blocking once you reach a certain amount of time, which between us is super frustrating and almost impossible to stick to, we’re going to block apps by default. That way, if I try to open one, nope, it’s blocked. I’ll have to tell Jomo why, copy out a very annoying text, or stare myself down for 5 minutes, which is very long and very introspective, BEFORE I can use my apps. Plenty of time to pull out your dopa-menu and start the meal.
Go to Rules ▸ Templates section, choose Use With Intention.
Configure it, then add it.
Suggestion 2: Create OFF Windows
There are times when it’s “okay” to hang out on your apps, and other times when it’s a clear NO. But if we don’t define that clearly and officially, there’s zero chance it’ll work. In Jomo, you can schedule times when your apps are blocked, period. You’ll have to do something else. And that’s where your dopa-menu will come in handy.
Go to Rules ▸ + ▸ Recurring Session.
Configure it, then tap Schedule.
Suggestion 3: Actions IN EXCHANGE for Time
You know the expression “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”? It’s kind of the same idea. Do a positive action to unlock apps, and it’s non-negotiable. With Jomo, you can link an activity to your apps: by default, they’re blocked until you complete the task, and then they unlock. A very smart way to connect and make your dopa-menu more dynamic, right?
Go to Rules ▸ Templates ▸ See more.
Configure it, then tap Schedule.
The Takeaway 🍔
The key to reducing screen time is not blocking everything or restricting everything. It’s regulating, and most importantly, thinking ahead about “what to do” without your phone. That’s why we found this “dopa-menu” trend really lovely. So maybe you’ve seen TikToks with pre-made ideas, sometimes even paid ones, but forget that. A dopa-menu will only work if it’s connected to YOU and YOUR desires. So take the time to take care of yourself while writing it, then lean on Jomo to make it real.
Thank you for reading this far. If you want to try Jomo Plus for free for 14 days, you can use my referral code FG2HA9. I don’t get anything from it, but you do. And if you liked this, you can tell us or share it with people close to you.
See you next Monday! 🫡
