Your Personal Happiness Plan: Building a Dopamine Menu for Life with Chronic Pain

Some days, you don't have a clue what to do to make yourself feel better...

Chronic pain patients constantly struggle to feel better physically, attempting to manage their pain and all the symptoms that come with it. But sometimes, as much as they may try, there is nothing to be done besides waiting for the pain flare to pass. If you have ever been in pain or are a chronic pain patient yourself, you can understand that it is rather difficult to find joy when you don't feel good!

In comes the Dopamine Menu or "Dopamenu", which was created by Jessica McCabe of How to ADHD and Eric Tivers of ADHD reWired. The concept is simple - create a list of activities that elevate your dopamine levels and make it easy to incorporate them throughout the day.

As someone with chronic pain and ADHD, there are days (especially during a pain flare!) when it seems like there is never enough time or energy to do the necessities, let alone fun activities. When pain rises, anxiety and depression also heighten, which makes me lack the desire to do any sort of hobbies. Frustration quickly rises as I try to find an activity that will not only bring me some enjoyment, but also not make me feel physically or mentally worse. And on the days that making food, showering, and normal household chores are challenging, it is a lot more difficult to find activities that work with my body!

That is where the Dopamine Menu for Life with Chronic Pain comes in! This handy list of ideas is perfect for creating a self-care regimen that provides plenty of options for whatever struggles you face. It is easily customizable to meet your needs and can add a functional piece of art to your home!

Most Dopamine Menus have an appetizer, entree, side, and dessert. I love coffee, so I created a café-themed one for my home! Mine is the same concept, except the sections are changed to café-themed items so it matches my coffee bar at home. The menu itself brings me joy every morning while I make my latte!

Editable Dopamine Menu Template coming soon! In the meantime, take a look at the Dopamine Menu I created in my portfolio!

Without further ado, here is my personal dopamine menu for combating chronic pain and bringing joy to everyday living!

Espresso: The quick fix

Espresso is a quick fix that can give you a dopamine boost without being too strenuous. Depending on your needs, you can create this section to be filled with less time-consuming tasks or ones that will take up less energy.

The top three things on my espresso menu are:

1. Listening to music - put on your favorite song and sing or dance along! Or just sit and rest your eyes while you enjoy the music-it is a perfect way to give yourself a couple of minutes to find joy in the day!

   
   

2. Playing a game for about ten minutes - Some games are not as strenuous as others! This can include simple paper games like Sudoku, a crossword, word searches, or other puzzles. Maybe you have a favorite app game that can be done wherever you are, just don't get distracted or stressed by other notifications on your phone! Even a simple deck of cards can provide a large variety of games to play. There are plenty of single-player board games and adaptations of popular games for one player as well, so be creative and have some fun!

   
   

3. Look at photos - Everyone has a HUGE collection of photos they have taken, so enjoy them! Whether you want to scroll through your most recent pictures or take a stroll down memory lane, take time to appreciate all the life you have lived. If you have extra time or energy you may decide to create some albums, declutter old screenshots and duplicate photos, or print some pictures to scrapbook or hang in your home.

   
   

Coffee: Nourish Your Soul

Coffee is the heart of your menu, meaning bigger tasks that take more energy and time but are worth it in the long run! If you decide to create your menu (like mine!) around having a pain flare, this section can be filled with ideas for those high-energy, low-pain days. Do what is best for you!

The top three things on my Coffee menu are:

1. Starting a New Craft Project -  If it's anything crafty - I've probably tried it. I have a large assortment of craft supplies at my disposal, but it is hard to figure out what to create or challenge myself to do different things! Starting is the hardest part, but then on the higher-pain, low-energy, brain fog-fueled days, I might have one more activity that can be done to bring me joy. Whether you use the supplies you have or need some time to shop for new ones, it is worth the time to create your own art!

   
   

2. Hair and Skincare - When I am in a pain flare, grooming is often something that gets sacrificed so I can use my limited spoons differently. If you have not seen any pictures of me yet, I have curly hair which is very energy-taxing to wrangle! I also have PCOS, which causes even more hair growth, and shaving is NOT a priority while I am in pain! So when I am able I enjoy taking a long shower to do my hair, shave, and after put on some nice smelling lotion.

   
   

3. Thrift Shopping - I love perusing a thrift shop looking for my next treasure to take home! I can spend hours looking through each aisle, and it is different every time you stop by! I try to go once a week if I can, as I prefer to buy most of my clothing, decor, and even craft supplies at the thrift shop. Chronic pain is expensive, so it is also a way for me to use my limited funds to the fullest!

Tea: Make a Task Less Miserable

The Tea section is meant to add pleasure to the less pleasurable tasks that need to get done during the day. Whether you are working or doing household chores, it is important to try to find joy during the whole day, not just when the not-so-fun stuff is complete!

The top three things on my Tea menu are:

1. Aromatics -  Lighting a candle, turning on a diffuser, or starting a simmer pot are all great ways to create a calming atmosphere at home. If you are allowed to use scented items at work, please be mindful of your coworkers' scent triggers and keep aromatics more mild by using a nice scented hand lotion, putting a reed diffuser on your desk, or using a room spray to enjoy a lighter fragrance.

   
   

2. Making a Warm Beverage - Having a nice drink that is meant to be sipped on and enjoyed helps us to be mindful in the present. Stashing some tea bags or instant coffee in your work bag is the perfect way to have a quick pick-me-up while at the office since all you need is hot water and a mug!

   
   

3. Stand or Sit to Work - If you work from a computer and have a standing desk, use it! I love having the ability to get more steps while I work using my walking pad at my standing desk, or if you can take a call while walking outside that is great too! On the other hand, if you are doing more labor-intensive work or chores, give yourself time to rest your body. Whether that be taking your laptop to a recliner chair to continue working, cooking while sitting on a stool in the kitchen, or folding laundry while sitting in bed, save some energy for things you WANT to do!

   
   

Dessert: Good in small doses

Everything in moderation as they say! This section is for those activities that are beneficial once in a while, but not so great when done too often. It is a sweet treat to enjoy occasionally!

The top three things on my Dessert menu are:

1. Baking -  What better activity to put on the dessert menu! Baking is great for making yourself a sweet treat to enjoy and share with friends. Or even prepping extra to stash in the freezer for a high-pain, low-energy morale booster!

   
   

2. Binge Watching a Show - Decide on a show or movie series that you enjoy and get to watching! Pick some snacks, grab a craft, and enjoy resting while watching your favorite media. This is great for those days when you need to let your body rest.

   
   

3. Making Plans - It takes a lot of energy to make a plan! I have started planning things a month or more in advance with my friends, trying to find a day that works with everyone's schedules. Life gets busy for us all, so why not take some initiative to plan events you want to go to? Whether you plan to host a party at your place or have another event in mind, start planning! Making plans gives you something to look forward to, especially on those high-pain days!

I hope you gained some inspiration for creating your own dopamine menu! Let me know what you added to your own dopamine menu in the comments below!