The "Dopamenu": Gamifying Discipline to Instill Lasting Habits

Dopamine: the little neurotransmitter that plays a big role in how happy and motivated we feel. When our dopamine levels are high, we feel our best, while low dopamine levels may result in exhaustion, anxiety, sleeplessness, and moodiness. The need for a quick hit of dopamine may lead us to opt for a sugary snack, time spent "doom-scrolling" on social media, or an unnecessary shopping spree instead of falling back on the healthy habits we mean to cultivate.

The internet is rife with “dopamine hacks” which claim to quickly and effectively increase dopamine production. One of these fascinating new trends is known as the "Dopamenu," invented especially to help those who struggle with ADHD or other mental disorders. A Dopamenu is a personalized, imaginary menu of various activities that can stimulate natural, healthy dopamine production. You can make your own from scratch or use a premade template.

Like a restaurant menu, the Dopamenu has a variety of categories from which to choose a complete and balanced “meal.” But this menu is far from standard. Here is an example.

Appetizers

These are quick actions that you can take to boost dopamine. They take very little effort but are good places to begin before reaching for your phone.

• Standing up and taking some deep breaths
• Stretching for 5 minutes
• Going outside for some fresh air and sunshine

Entrees

These are the main course of your Dopamenu. They take the most effort but will yield sure results.

• Deep cleaning one area of your home
• Going on a long walk
• Taking a shower
• Cooking yourself a healthy meal
• Reading a book for half an hour

Sides

These are activities that you can do while tackling your "entree," making a tough task just a little more enjoyable.

• Listening to an audiobook or podcast
• Turning on classical music, lighting a candle, or opening a window
• Brewing a fresh pot of coffee

Desserts

All things in moderation, but dessert should still be enjoyed from time to time.

• Watching a movie or show
• Spending time on social media (with boundaries, of course)
• Getting fast food for dinner

Specials

These may be saved for special occasions, but when you're able to indulge, they're well worth the time, energy, and money.

• Going to a concert, show, or sporting event
• Trying a new restaurant or activity
• Taking a day trip to a new city

Of course, without consistency, our Dopamine levels may only spike briefly and then die down again. Perhaps the idea of the Dopamenu is sound, but how can we turn our happiness hacks into lasting habits? Using sheer will power to muscle through a to-do list—even a list of things that will make us feel happier—can turn into a chore itself.

Reframing these goals to be as attractive as possible is the key to consistency. After all, you'll be more likely to follow through on your good resolutions when they look like fun. Try "gamifying" your tasks by setting up a series of easy, reward-based challenges. Gamification is a highly effective method for improving engagement and motivation. Allowing yourself to celebrate victories easily and often at the beginning will give you a confidence boost and an incentive to tackle more difficult challenges later on.

Here are three ideas to incorporate gamification into your life:

01. Streaks

The human brain hates to break streaks. Once you're on a roll, it can be hard to stop. We know this is true for bad habits, but it is equally true for good habits. Try using a habit tracking app such as Fabulous or (Not Boring) Habits that keeps streaks for you, or keep track of your streaks on a whiteboard or in a notebook. Keep trying to beat your record score, and soon your new habit will be second nature.

For example, last summer I completed and checked off my morning routine every day using the Fabulous app. Before I knew it, I had a long streak going, each day on the digital calendar connected by a satisfying green bubble. The desire to keep the streak alive soon became the principal driving force behind my new routine, which I kept up for a long time.

02. Jars

Try writing down all of the habits, activities, and tasks you want to do on separate slips of paper, and keep them in a jar or box. (Popsicle sticks also work great for this.) When you have some free time, before reaching for the phone or remote, take one of the slips of paper from the jar. That one task is your only mission, and you can't start anything else until that task is completed.

You can designate a jar or box for the different categories on your Dopamenu, or use multiple jars for chores, creative pursuits, and other categories. You can set aside a jar for quick and easy tasks or activities, and another for more challenging activities. The number of jars and how they are organized is up to you, and so is the order in which you tackle them.

03. Levels

Too often, life gets in the way of the best-laid plans. Prepare for this eventuality by creating routines and schedules that correspond to different energy levels. Maybe hitting the gym after a long and exhausting day at work is just too much, and that’s okay! Give yourself grace, but have a plan in place so you can remain consistent in your efforts. For example, instead of going to the gym, maybe your low-energy routine includes going on a short walk, or following a 10-minute Pilates video on YouTube.

Something is always better than nothing. Even putting one minute towards our goals and habits is better than giving up on the day entirely. Maybe you can’t journal for 10 minutes today, but you can write one sentence. Perhaps the laundry pile is overwhelming, but you can put away a couple of items. That one minute may get the ball rolling, inspiring us to achieve even more than we expected. But if not, we can still be proud of any effort we put forth, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

Having the humility to accept that we can't always muscle through all of the things we mean to do can actually help increase self-discipline in the long run. Making our work a little more fun isn't taking a shortcut if it helps increase productivity. And, eventually, as we become more consistent in our pursuits, we learn slowly but surely how to do hard work—even when we don't feel like it.