Sensory & Dopamine
The “Dopamine Menu”
Section titled “The “Dopamine Menu””What to do: Write a physical menu of stimulation options for when you’re bored. Appetizers: quick hits (pet the dog, 5 jumping jacks). Entrées: deep-focus hobbies (coding, painting). Sides: add-ons (podcasts, fidgets).
Why it works: When you’re under-stimulated, you forget what you actually enjoy. A pre-made menu prevents the default slide into doom-scrolling.
Brown Noise
Section titled “Brown Noise”What to do: Listen to brown noise — deep rumbles like heavy rain or a fan — instead of white noise.
Why it works: The ADHD community overwhelmingly prefers the lower frequencies. It acts as a “sound blanket” that quiets the internal monologue.
Cold Water Face Dunk
Section titled “Cold Water Face Dunk”What to do: When you’re spiraling, raging, or stuck in paralysis, dunk your face in a bowl of ice water for about 30 seconds.
Why it works: It triggers the mammalian dive reflex, which slows your heart rate and prompts a physiological reset of the nervous system.
Shower Orange
Section titled “Shower Orange”What to do: Eat a cold orange in a hot shower.
Why it works: The intense sensory contrast — hot water, cold fruit, strong citrus — provides a big dopamine jolt to wake up a sluggish brain.
”Dinosaur Hands” (T-Rex Arms)
Section titled “”Dinosaur Hands” (T-Rex Arms)”What to do: Rest or relax with your wrists limp and curled against your chest.
Why it works: It’s a common neurodivergent posture that provides proprioceptive comfort and gentle self-soothing.
Turn Off the “Big Light”
Section titled “Turn Off the “Big Light””What to do: Avoid overhead ceiling lights in favor of lamps, LED strips, or fairy lights.
Why it works: Many people with ADHD are sensorily sensitive to harsh overhead lighting, which can quietly drain energy and stoke irritability.
Floor Time
Section titled “Floor Time”What to do: When you can’t focus or feel overwhelmed, lie flat on the floor for a few minutes.
Why it works: The change in perspective and the grounding sensation can reset the nervous system and make a boring task feel slightly novel.