I framed it then as a way to calm the nervous system<\/strong>. For many students, opening the laptop or textbook is a moment filled with overwhelm – not boredom. So something relaxing made sense. Think mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises, stretching, or a cup of tea.<\/p>\n But one student challenged that framing.<\/p>\n They explained that for them, the issue wasn\u2019t overactivation – it was underactivation<\/em>. Their ritual needed to rev them up<\/em>, not calm them down. They needed energy, stimulation, movement.<\/p>\n That comment stayed with me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fast Forward: Discovering the \u201cDopamine Menu\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Recently, one of our Student Success and Wellbeing Advisors<\/a> shared something a student had introduced them to: the idea of a Dopamine Menu<\/strong>. It turns out it\u2019s a fairly common idea among people with ADHD, who often need to actively seek out healthy sources of stimulation to feel motivated and focused. The student even shared their own menu.<\/p>\n The concept was new to me, but I found a great explainer on ADDitude Magazine<\/a>. A Google search will also find you a bunch of articles on the topic.<\/p>\n The core idea?<\/p>\n Have a menu of healthy, stimulating activities that you can use to boost your mood, energy, and focus.<\/strong><\/p>\n People often turn to not-so-healthy options when they feel flat: endless scrolling, junk food, or doing anything<\/em> other than the task they\u2019re avoiding. A dopamine menu is a way to be more intentional about what you do to lift yourself up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why It Might Help Before Studying<\/strong><\/p>\n Study aside, the idea of reflecting and developing a list of mood and focus enhancing activities makes a lot of sense. It reminds me of another tool we recommend \u2014 the Coping Plan<\/a> \u2014 where you map out helpful actions for when you’re feeling overwhelmed or low. The Dopamine Menu shares that same spirit of planning ahead, but with a twist: it focuses on energising, uplifting, and activating you when you’re flat or disengaged. Less \u2018how do I get through this tough moment?\u2019 and more \u2018how do I get moving and find my flow?\u2019<\/p>\n But, being a mental health person in a university, I can’t help but think how it could be related to study.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, we learn better and feel more motivated when we’re in a positive mood state<\/strong>. Trying to study while flat, foggy, or frustrated is hard (although don’t use those mood states as reasons to not study!)<\/p>\n So the idea of using a dopamine-boosting activity to see if we can get ourselves into a study-ready state makes a lot of sense.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a great alternative<\/strong> to calming rituals, especially for students who find that relaxing before study just leads to\u2026 more relaxing. Feel stressed? Do a calming ritual. Feel flat? Do a boosting activity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Examples: Building Your Own Study-Prep Dopamine Menu<\/strong><\/p>\n I asked AI to help me come up with some example items students might include in their dopamine menu, specifically as pre-study rituals<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd7a Movement-based energisers<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2025\/04\/Dopamine-Menu.png\")
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