The Dopamine Menu Revolution: How Students Are Rewiring Their Brains for Better Mental Health

Ever found yourself staring at your phone for three hours straight, wondering where the time went? You’re not alone. But here’s the thing, Gen Z students are quietly revolutionising how they approach mental health and productivity with something called a “dopamine menu.” And no, it’s not about food.

This isn’t just another wellness trend that’ll disappear faster than your motivation during exam season. It’s a psychological hack that’s gaining serious traction across TikTok, Instagram, and university cities across the UK. Think of it as meal planning, but for your brain’s happiness.

What Exactly Is a Dopamine Menu?

Picture this: You’re having one of those days where everything feels overwhelming. Your dissertation deadline is looming, your part time job is draining you, and you can’t seem to focus on anything productive. Instead of doom scrolling through social media (we’ve all been there), you pull out your personalised “dopamine menu”, a curated list of activities designed to give your brain the exact type of boost it needs.

The concept originated from Jessica McCabe, creator of the “How to ADHD” YouTube channel, but it’s Gen Z students who’ve truly embraced and evolved this approach. As creator Payton Sartain explains it on TikTok: “It’s a go to list of things you can do to feel good throughout your day so you don’t default to doom scrolling on social media.”

But here’s where it gets interesting. These aren’t random activities, they’re strategically categorised like an actual restaurant menu:

Appetisers (5-10 minutes): Quick mood boosters like petting your dog, making your bed, or listening to your favourite song.

Mains (30-60 minutes): Substantial activities like journaling, going to the gym, or calling a friend.

Desserts (Variable time): Treat yourself activities like binge watching a series or online shopping.

Sides (Ongoing): Things you can do while multitasking, like playing background music or lighting a candle.

Specials (2+ hours): Big commitment activities like hiking, deep cleaning, or starting a creative project.

The Science Behind the Trend

“Dopamine is associated with reward circuitry and goal directed behaviour,” explains licensed psychotherapist Gary Tucker. “When you set short term goals with rewards attached to them, it can positively shape your productivity.”

Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist, puts it even more simply: “Just like you need protein in your diet, your brain needs dopamine to function smoothly and keep you motivated. When you’re feeling low, unmotivated, unfocused, or depressed, a stimulating dopamine surge can be just what’s needed to get back on track.”

For students dealing with ADHD, anxiety, or general mental health challenges, this approach offers something traditional productivity advice often lacks: flexibility and self compassion. Rather than forcing yourself through a rigid routine, you’re giving your brain options.

Why Modern Students Are Obsessed

Let’s be honest, university life in 2025 hits differently than it did for previous generations.

You’re dealing with:

Academic pressure that feels more intense than ever.
Financial stress from rising living costs.
Social media comparison culture.
Uncertainty about career prospects.
The lingering effects of global disruption on mental health.

Traditional self care advice often feels tone deaf. “Just go for a walk” doesn’t cut it when you’re juggling three assignments, a part time job, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life.

The dopamine menu trend resonates because it acknowledges that different situations require different solutions. Feeling overwhelmed? Try an appetiser. Need serious motivation? Go for a main course. Completely burnt out? Maybe it’s dessert time, and that’s okay.

Modern student life comes with loads of new pressures

Creating Your Personal Dopamine Menu: A Step by Step Guide

Step 1: Audit Your Current Habits

Before building your menu, spend a week tracking what actually makes you feel good. Not what you think should make you feel good – what genuinely does.

Keep a simple note on your phone. When you notice your mood lifting, jot down what you were doing. You might be surprised by the patterns.

Step 2: Categorise by Time and Energy

Now sort your mood boosting activities into menu categories:

Appetisers (5-10 minutes, low energy required):

Stretch at your desk.
Text a friend a funny meme.
Make a cup of tea mindfully.
Do five minutes of breathing exercises.
Organise your desk space.

Mains (30-60 minutes, moderate energy):

Take a proper shower with your favourite products.
Cook a meal from scratch.
Go for a walk around campus.
Video call family or friends.
Work on a hobby project.

Desserts (Variable time, when you need comfort):

Watch comfort TV shows.
Online window shopping.
Scroll through wholesome social media accounts.
Play mobile games.
Take a nap.

Sides (Ongoing, minimal effort):

Play instrumental music.
Light a scented candle.
Wear your most comfortable clothes.
Keep a water bottle nearby.
Have healthy snacks prepared.

Specials (2+ hours, high energy/commitment):

Deep clean and reorganise your room.
Plan a day trip somewhere new.
Start learning a new skill online.
Have a proper social gathering.
Tackle a creative project you’ve been putting off.

Step 3: Make It Accessible

The key to success? Keep your menu somewhere you’ll actually use it. Many students create:

A note in their phone.
A poster on their wall.
A bookmark in their browser.
A widget on their home screen.

Some even create aesthetic versions for their Instagram stories, because if it’s not documented, did it really happen?

Step 4: Experiment and Adjust

Your dopamine menu isn’t set in stone. What works during exam season might not work during summer break. What helps on a Monday might not help on a Friday night.

Treat it like a living document. Add new discoveries, remove things that stop working, and adjust categories based on your changing needs.

The Social Element: How Friend Groups Are Adopting Dopamine Menus

Here’s where it gets really interesting. Students aren’t just creating individual menus. They’re building shared ones with their flatmates, course mates, and friend groups.

“We have a group chat where we share our menu of the day,” explains Sarah, a third year psychology student at the University of Manchester. “If someone’s having a rough time, we’ll suggest appetisers from their list or offer to do a main course activity together.”

This social aspect addresses one of the biggest challenges of student mental health: isolation. Instead of struggling alone, students are creating support systems built around intentional joy and mutual care.

Some universities are even incorporating dopamine menu concepts into their wellbeing programmes, recognising that students respond better to flexible, personalised approaches than one size fits all solutions.

The Psychology of Choice and Control

What makes dopamine menus particularly effective for today’s students is the element of choice. In a world where so much feels uncertain and out of control, having a menu of reliable mood boosters provides a sense of agency.

“It’s not about toxic positivity or forcing yourself to be happy,” notes Dr. Emma Richardson, a researcher in digital wellbeing at King’s College London. “It’s about giving yourself tools and options. Sometimes the most radical act of self care is choosing how you want to feel better.”

This approach also counters the perfectionism that plagues many high achieving students. There’s no “wrong” choice on a dopamine menu, whether you need a five minute appetiser or a two hour special, you’re still taking care of yourself.

Beyond Individual Wellbeing: The Broader Cultural Shift

The dopamine menu trend represents something bigger than individual self care. It’s part of a broader cultural shift where students are:

Rejecting hustle culture in favour of sustainable productivity.
Prioritising mental health without shame.
Creating personalised solutions rather than following generic advice.
Building community around wellbeing practices.
Using technology intentionally rather than passively.

This generation has grown up with unprecedented access to information about mental health, and they’re using that knowledge to create practical, accessible tools for daily life.

Potential Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Like any trend, dopamine menus aren’t without potential downsides:

Over optimisation: Some students become so focused on optimising their menus that they lose the spontaneity and joy the practice is meant to cultivate.

Avoidance: Using your menu to avoid difficult emotions or necessary tasks rather than supporting yourself through them.

Comparison: Seeing others’ aesthetic menu posts and feeling like yours isn’t “good enough.”

Dependency: Feeling unable to cope without consulting your menu first.

The key is remembering that dopamine menus are tools, not rules. They should enhance your life, not constrain it.

Making It Work in Different Student Situations

For International Students

Being far from home adds extra complexity to student mental health. Your dopamine menu might include:

Video calls with family during their daytime.
Cooking familiar foods from home.
Connecting with cultural societies on campus.
Exploring local areas that remind you of home.

For Commuter Students

Limited time on campus requires portable menu options:

Podcast episodes for your commute.
Portable hobbies like sketching or reading.
Quick campus activities between classes.
Home based evening routines.

For Students with Mental Health Conditions

Dopamine menus can complement professional mental health support:

Include activities recommended by counsellors.
Have crisis specific options for difficult days.
Build in accountability with trusted friends.
Regular menu reviews with mental health professionals.

The Future of Student Wellbeing

As dopamine menus continue to gain traction, we’re seeing interesting developments:

Apps specifically designed for creating and tracking dopamine menus.
University wellbeing services incorporating menu building into their programmes.
Research into the effectiveness of personalised wellbeing approaches.
Integration with existing mental health resources and support systems.

The trend also reflects broader changes in how young people approach mental health, moving from reactive crisis management to proactive wellbeing cultivation.

Getting Started: Your First Dopamine Menu

Ready to create your own? Start simple:

This week: Notice three things that consistently improve your mood.
Next week: Try categorising them by time and energy requirements.
Week three: Add one new activity to each category.
Week four: Share your menu with a trusted friend and ask for their input.

Your menu should feel like a helpful friend, not a demanding taskmaster. If something stops working, change it. If you forget to use it for a week, that’s fine too.

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s having options when you need them most.

The Bottom Line

The dopamine menu trend represents something powerful: a generation taking control of their mental health in practical, accessible ways. It’s not about having all the answers or never feeling bad. It’s about building a toolkit of reliable ways to support yourself through the ups and downs of student life.

In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, having a menu of ways to feel better isn’t just trendy, it’s revolutionary. And maybe, just maybe, it’s exactly what we all need right now.

Want more ways to thrive in student life while keeping it real? Check out more of our student guides to sports and wellbeing.