Winter Dopamine Menu
As I write this we are in Winter. My most recent chats centre around the fact that many of us are feeling a little less motivated than usual, yet we also feel overstimulated and wired, yet tired. So, I’d like to introduce you to something called Dopamine. Dopamine is your brain’s “feel-good” chemical that motivates and rewards you. It’s the neurotransmitter that helps you get out of bed, start tasks, feel focused, and experience a sense of reward when you complete something.
In our busy, constantly doing lives, we can get caught up in quick dopamine hits from things such as sugar, our phones, alcohol, or online shopping. These give a short burst of pleasure and reward, but it’s fleeting. Afterwards, dopamine drops again, often leaving us more tired, overstimulated, and overwhelmed than before.
During winter, dopamine levels can naturally dip. Shorter daylight hours, less sunlight, colder weather, and more time indoors can all reduce dopamine production. When we are already juggling a hefty mental load, fatigue, and constant demands, this drop can show up as low motivation, brain fog, irritability, or feeling emotionally flat. When dopamine is low, our brains look for the fastest possible way to feel better.
Supporting dopamine in winter is about choosing the right kinds of inputs. When dopamine is supported properly, motivation improves, overwhelm eases, and life feels more manageable, even during these tougher, darker months. The key isn’t cutting out pleasure or “having more willpower.” It’s about supporting healthy, steady dopamine in ways that actually restore your nervous system.
Reconnecting with natural dopamine sources that support the nervous system through nature, movement, rituals and joyful moments. Small experiences of pleasure which happen during simple, everyday activities, such as looking at the moon or shadows dancing in the sunlight or nourishing food. All are helping to support energy, joy and helping you feel more grounded and balanced.
Jessica McCabe created the concept of a Dopamine Menu and describes it as a tool that “prevents us from going to the grocery store when we’re hungry”. A Dopamine Menu is a self-care tool that lists and organises your most enjoyable or motivating activities into categories designed like a restaurant menu. The idea is that it helps support your focus, mood, or motivation healthily. Instead of relying on instant-gratification habits such as scrolling on your phone, it offers intentional options. These are quick “appetisers” (things such as stretching and deep breaths), more lengthy “main courses” (such as creating something or walking with friends), occasional “desserts” (which can be treats such as wild saunas or self-care activities), and sometimes “side dishes” for lower-energy days. The idea is to choose activities that stimulate dopamine in a balanced and sustainable way.
Why not create your own menu or list? Fill it with what makes you feel alive, seen, and grounded. List small things that bring you joy, help you reset, or fill your cup. The list is somewhere for you to turn to when you are feeling like you need some form of boost without the self-soothing mechanisms that do not serve you in the long run.
Here are some more ideas you could include, think of it as your go-to self-soothing menu.
Starters – quick hits of joy
Morning coffee outside
Cold splash of water
Cuddling your dog
Placing some flowers on your desk
Mains – deeper nourishment
Exercise class
Bath or “everything shower”
Reading or cooking
Gardening
Sides – mini joys with mundane tasks
Candle at your desk
Podcast while folding laundry
Box breathing while folding the laundary
Desserts – soul care
Nature time
No screens
Napping
Massage
Time with friends
Booking a holiday