The December Menu
Your itinerary for romanticizing your December.
I came across the concept of a dopamine menu on TikTok, as is the 2024 way, and did a deep dive. If you haven’t heard of a dopamine menu, it’s basically a list you make of activities that will give you a hit of the “feel-good” hormone that’s associated with the feeling of pleasure in a healthy way.
It was originally developed to help people with ADHD1, and honestly can be helpful for everyone. I find it fun to make a little dopamine menu to give myself options for a joy hit when I’m in a bad mood without just resorting to doomscrolling.
So I got the idea to create a monthly dopamine menu to help you romanticize your life and enjoy the season.
The menu is made up of 4 parts:
Appetizers: (if you have five minutes or less) quick and low effort activities with immediate rewards. Examples: watching a short funny video, washing your face, stretching.
Entrees: (if you have an hour or more) longer activities that require a bit more effort and time, but recharge you more than an Appetizer. Examples: cooking a favorite meal, going on a long walk, doing a craft.
Sides: tasks that can accompany less enjoyable, necessary tasks. Examples: listening to a favorite podcast while doing laundry, lighting a candle while working, taking a bath.
Desserts: things you love but are best enjoyed in moderation or they can quickly turn into making you feel bad. Examples: scrolling Tiktok, online shopping, ordering takeout, taking a nap.
Specials: high effort and/or expense joy that can be periodically done. Examples: planning a trip, going to a new event, having dinner at a fancy new restaurant.
And I planned out a special seasonal December menu just for you – if you’re, like me, an extroverted introvert who enjoys cozy nights in, witchy stuff, velvet ribbons, holiday teas, and a good book to read.