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Dopamine has a reputation as the body’s “feelgood” hormone, but it’s “really more about motivation than about positive affect”, says happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky. This is the chemical that nudges you towards things you enjoy, helping you muster the effort required to attend a party you’re on the fence about, then showering you with a sense of reward when you actually have a great time. Dopamine works with other neurotransmitters like serotonin to give you a sense of momentum: do one thing to give yourself a mood boost, and the cascading effects of that decision can help you break out of a rut and resuscitate your zest for life. January, with its clean slate, is the ideal time to rev this process up.
Enter the concept of the dopamine menu: a fresh sheet of stimulating activities designed to lift your spirits: quick “starters” that take relatively little time and effort to pull off; more substantial “mains”; and subtle “sides” or indulgent “desserts”.
The phrase was coined on YouTube in 2020 and the internet is now full of people sharing dopamine menus full of curated tips. One of mine? Booking a private karaoke room for an hour with just my partner, singing as many songs as we want, as ridiculously as we want. It’s like tiramisu for the soul.
We asked experts on happiness, wellbeing and connection to share their go-to mood-boosting rituals and energising hacks. Consult this smorgasbord of ideas when you want to do something to get your wheels turning but you’re not quite sure what.
Starters: quick ways to boost your mood
Turn up the volume
My wife and I listen to music with our teenage kids most evenings. We argue about what to play, but that’s part of the fun, I think. I’d recommend a little more music, played a little louder every day.
Paul Dolan, professor of behavioural science at the London School of Economics and author of Happiness by Design: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Everyday Life
Kindness kick
When I’m having a tough day, I like to commit to compliments: I tell a stranger I like their bag or shoes, or give a co-worker a shout-out for doing something great. It’s a quick way to make someone’s day while getting a personal boost of positive emotion.
Laurie Santos, Yale professor of psychology focused on the science of happiness and host of The Happiness Lab podcast
Paws and reflect
I sit for a while on a favourite bench in my local green space. Not only does it get me outside and give me a break from my to-do list – on a good day I get to meet and dole out cuddles to several dogs, too, and have an equal number of friendly, low-stakes chats with their humans. I’m an introvert, but I love this daily dose of talking to strangers in which I often learn something, have a laugh, feel a sense of shared humanity – and then walk away.
Gillian Sandstrom, senior lecturer in the psychology of kindness at the University of Sussex
Try breathwork
Breathwork can declutter the mind, bring clarity and release feelgood hormones. Deep rhythmic inhalation and exhalation can even facilitate a natural high, sometimes likened to a controlled psychedelic experience.
Ben Bidwell, breathwork guide and life coach
Savour the season
When I need a boost, I stroll to my local market or greengrocer to hunt for the freshest fruits and vegetables or other new ingredients. It always feels like the start of something deliciously creative. The act of choosing vibrant, seasonal produce, like perfect long, sweet red peppers or ripe eggplants to roast until meltingly tender, is energising.
Irina Janakievska, recipe developer and author of The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans
Mains: longer-lasting rewards
Sounds like team spirit
I’m a West Ham fan; we have season tickets right next to the away fans, who my son and I love to banter with. You can’t get that dopamine hit from watching a football match at home on TV. Live events are good for us not only during the experience, but in the time looking forward to them and in the conversations we have afterwards.
Paul Dolan
Competitive connection
I’ve played for a casual softball team for over 20 years. We get out one night a week in a big group, including my spouse, sometimes my older kids, colleagues and an array of strangers, and casually-competitively-supportively play for an hour. It always takes me out of my element and leaves me energised, whether in victorious cheer or sober defeat.
Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director of the Greater Good Science Center at University of California, Berkeley
Wake and break
I usually wake up before everybody else and go downstairs, open the back door – even if it’s snowing, rainy or windy – and sit on my mat on the floor and watch dawn arrive. I listen to the world for a while and meditate. Meditation raises dopamine levels by 65%, and they stay high afterwards. I’ve been a meditator for more than 50 years; I am usually high.
Marc Hamer, retired professional gardener and author of Spring Rain: A Meditation on Love, Life and Gardens
Joy scout
I love scouring my city, New York, for gems – whether it’s hidden gardens, the single best dumpling spot, a vintage shop or even a surprisingly designed playground from the 70s – and immersing myself in someone else’s wildest dream. I collect these places and, over time, bring friends with me who I know will totally get why this tiny discovery is so special. And I’ll watch their faces light up as they do.
Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters and host of the podcast Together Apart
Nerd out
I really love a new idea, a new creative project. My friend, the great psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, explained that there is such a thing as a “nerdy dopamine pathway”. Some people really are made exuberant by music, art and ideas. So I seek out my nerdy dopamine high every morning at my local coffee shop, feeling happy and excited as I type on my laptop, letting the ideas flow.
Susan Cain, host of The Quiet Life Substack and author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Sides: background habits worth their salt
Apply the six months rule
When something bad happens, like losing my laptop, I apply what I call the “six months rule”, asking myself the question: six months from now, is my quality of life going to be affected by this? The answer is usually “no” – and that helps in the moment.
Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute and author of The Little Book of Hygge
Prepare for positivity
As dopamine is the molecule of anticipation, I like to start my day by thinking: “Today is going to be a good day.” This mindset activates the reward centre of our brains; it prepares the subconscious to pay more attention to positive experiences, providing a lasting boost in dopamine levels that can help to elevate mood throughout the day.
Emilia Vuorisalmi, author of The Healing Power of Hormones: Harness Dopamine, Serotonin and Oxytocin to Unlock Your Best Life
Desserts: for when you need to indulge
Cuddle up
When I’m cuddling with my 11-year-old daughter, I feel so happy it’s almost like I’m high. We talk about lots of things and she asks me lots of questions. We also watch TV shows – just recently we watched all of Gilmore Girls, which is about a mother and daughter – laughing and making fun of the show and cuddling as we watched.
Sonja Lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and author of The How of Happiness: A Practical Guide to Getting the Life You Want
Thirst for confidence
There’s nothing like when I am with my girls taking sexy “thirst trap” photos of ourselves. Slipping into a miniskirt is like a quick confidence charge – it always does the trick. It’s such a fun mood booster.
Rahel Stephanie, chef and host of the London Indonesian supper club Spoons
Rage against the machine
Imagine hot yoga, only with baseball bats and violence. That’s me in a rage room, with a friend, my adult son, or even on my own. It’s incredibly cathartic and, when it’s over, oddly calming. My absolute favourite is pulverising an old laptop – symbolically smashing to smithereens 15,000 unopened emails, a dozen unfinished projects and pesky requests from people I don’t know.
Martin Spinelli, professor of podcasting at the University of Sussex and producer of podcasts, including The Rez and Agricultural Voices Syria
