You know that thing where you're staring at your to-do list, and your brain just... *won't pick anything?* Not because you're lazy. Not because you don't care. But because every single item feels **equally impossible** to start. Yeah. That's not a character flaw. That's your brain looking for dopamine in a list that isn't providing any. And that's exactly what a **dopamine menu** fixes. ## Why Normal To-Do Lists Fail ADHD Brains Here's the thing about traditional to-do lists: they assume your brain works **the same way all day.** Wake up? Full capacity. After lunch? Still sharp. 4pm slump? *Push through it.* But ADHD brains don't work like that. Energy fluctuates. Motivation comes in waves. Some days, "send one email" feels harder than "reorganize entire closet." And when everything on your list requires more energy than you have? You pick nothing. Then you feel bad about picking nothing. Then the shame makes it *even harder* to start. It's a loop. And it's **not your fault.** The problem isn't you. It's the system. Let's try a different one. ## What's a Dopamine Menu? **A dopamine menu is a way to organize activities by energy cost instead of priority.** The concept was originally created by [Eric Tivers (ADHD reWired)](https://www.adhdrewired.com/) and featured on [How to ADHD](https://www.howtoadhd.com/) with Jessica McCabe - originally as a list of pleasurable activities to recharge your brain when depleted. This version is adapted for productivity: instead of recharge activities, we organize **tasks** by energy level - so you can pick what matches your current capacity and actually get things done. Think of it like a restaurant menu, but for tasks. Instead of sorting by "urgent" or "important" (words that mean nothing to an ADHD brain), you sort by: *How much does this actually take from me right now?* Then, when you're ready to do something, you don't have to decide *what*. You just check in with your energy, pick that section, and choose something that fits. The magic isn't in the tasks themselves. It's in removing the decision of "what should I do?" and replacing it with **"what can I do right now?"** **Want to try it?** We built a [free Dopamine Menu tool](/tools/dopamine-menu) to help you create yours in minutes. No signup needed. ### What Goes on Your Menu Most dopamine menus use categories like these: | Section | Energy Level | Examples | |---------|--------------|----------| | **Appetizers** | Low | Reply to one text, refill water bottle, take meds | | **Sides** | Medium | 10-minute work task, quick tidy, one phone call | | **Mains** | High | Deep focus work, creative tasks, hard conversations | | **Desserts** | Reward | The fun stuff that still counts as doing something | | **Drinks** | Quick boost | Stretch, take 3 deep breaths, look out the window. Micro resets. | The names don't matter. Call them whatever works for you. The point is: **different options for different energy levels.** Some people skip Drinks entirely. Others use them as micro-resets between tasks. Use what helps. ## Why This Actually Works ADHD brains run on **[interest, urgency, novelty, and challenge](https://www.additudemag.com/secrets-of-the-adhd-brain/)** - not importance. So when a task is important but *boring?* Your brain goes: "No thanks." A dopamine menu works because: - **It meets you where you are.** Low energy? Low-energy task. No forcing. - **It removes decision paralysis.** Fewer choices within each section = easier to pick. - **Any choice is valid.** Appetizers count. Desserts count. Movement is movement. - **There's no shame built in.** No "overdue" labels. No red warnings. Just options. The goal isn't to always do the hardest thing. It's to do *something* that matches your actual capacity right now. ## How to Make a Dopamine Menu Here's how to create one. Takes about 10 minutes. ### The 4 Steps

Posts tagged “energy-levels”

How to Build a Dopamine Menu for Your ADHD Brain