In need of a dopamine hit? 5 things to know about creating a dopamine menu

Editor’s note: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the medical science behind some of life’s mysteries big and small. “In some ways, it’s like a portion of a self-care plan.” Tivers, who co-coined the term dopamenu, is an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, coach and host of the podcast “ADHD reWired.” ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with an imbalance of certain neurotransmitters — including dopamine — leading to issues such as inattention, impulsivity and poor executive function. Think in terms of: • appetizers — a quick bite “that won’t suck you in or make it hard to stop” • main dishes — “things that might either take longer, require scheduling or something you can engage in for a longer period” • specials — “something that is not always accessible” • and, in small amounts, desserts — “anything that’s sort of recreationally intoxicating, whether it’s alcohol or scrolling … or watching two episodes of a show on Netflix.” But, he warns, just like you might order a slice of cake as a dessert after dinner, you don’t want to eat the entire cake. “But you’ve got to experiment,” he said, noting some people want a big dopamine hit in the morning, others will want a nice nightly hit before bed to wind down. “It’s just embracing the idea of living life in beta mode — just experiment and see what happens.” He said the worst that could happen is you might waste some time making “a super duper, nice looking dopamenu” that you never look at again.