Dopamine Menus Are Trending Right Now—Here's What’s On Ours This Fall

You may have seen a new self-care trend circling the internet lately that encourages people to get offline and lean into what brings them joy. The trend, called "dopamine menus," is centered around making lists of things and activities that make you happy and categorizing them like a menu you would see at a restaurant. Each “course” on the menu—starters, mains, sides, and desserts—has different activities or things you can do for a boost of dopamine, AKA the “feel-good” hormone. They can be as small as doing a face mask once a week or as big as learning a new recipe or going on a walk every morning for fresh air and sunlight. 

Our editors love the fall season, so we put together our fall-themed dopamine menu to inspire you when creating your own. We’ve included a variety of small festive activities and cherished traditions to help savor the season and lean into the coziness fall brings. We hope these ideas inspire you to enhance or create your own dopamine menu this fall.

Starters

When deciding on your designated starters for your menu, think of little, less time-consuming things you can do to lean into the fall season on a daily or weekly basis. Something to supplement your routine to make it even just a smidge more cozy this fall. 

Our editors' starters this fall entail wearing cozy sweaters on those brisker fall days and indulging in pumpkin spice lattes to start the morning off right—and ending the day with a warm mug of homemade apple cider. 

Mains

For your mains, try to choose activities that are exclusively done in the fall, and that can be shared with loved ones. These can be events throughout the season that you plan with family and friends ahead of time to look forward to. 

We believe that if you haven’t taken an annual trip to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard—then you’re doing fall all wrong. Picking pumpkins for carving or to use for dècor indoors and outdoors is a fall favorite. Our editors enjoy the fall sentiment of hosting a bonfire with friends and family, all gathered around on a cozy autumn night and re-watching the Halloween favorite—Hocus Pocus.

Sides

Sides on your dopamine menu can be similar to your starters, small things you can incorporate to enhance your day while you're at work or doing chores around the house. 

Our editors love their pets–especially when they are dressed up in costumes. Every Halloween, we like to include our pets with a themed bandana, store-bought costume, or a DIY costume to include them in the spooky holiday spirit. Another side this season on our editorial team's menu is lighting fall holiday-scented candles. When you can't have the freshly baked pumpkin bread waft throughout your home– light a scented candle in your kitchen instead.

Desserts

Desserts on a dopamine menu can be real desserts, too. It wouldn't be a proper dopamine menu without freshly baked pies and themed treats to celebrate this fall. Indulging now and then is healthy and a great way to celebrate. 

Baking a variety of flavored pies is one of our favorite fall traditions. Seasonal-themed holiday treats are simply a must. In addition to fall-flavored pies, we celebrate our dopamine dessert menu by creating Halloween-themed desserts like Martha’s “broken glass” cupcakes and candy corn rice crispies.