I’ll take a Double Order of Joy Please! Making A Recharge Menu for Resilience

Everyone’s battery gets low at times, so it is no surprise that we often find ourselves looking for little ways to keep going when we are feeling depleted or like we are running in “the red.” The problem that many of us have, however, is that even if we are able to be mindful of our energy level and recognize when we need some recharge, we don’t always know what will help, or have the brain space or mental energy to try to figure it out what to do in the moment. That is why, as a mental health counselor, I often work with my clients to develop a Recharge Menu that they can turn to during moments when they feel depleted and need to top off their emotional and/or physical battery. The Recharge Menu is a modification of a brilliant and helpful ADHD tool called a Dopamenu that was created and popularized by Jessica McCabe, author of the book How to ADHD, and creator of the popular YouTube series by the same name. Below you will find step-by-step instructions for creating your own Recharge Menu:

The purpose of this Menu is to provide you with options you can choose from when you are feeling depleted. It can be hard to come up with ideas when you are running on empty, so having a menu that you can consult in those moments gives you options you can try, ready when you need them. Like a real menu it is split into different categories so that you can find what you are looking for in-the-moment. The four categories are:

1. Appetizers - Appetizers are quick activities that give you a short burst of feel-good energy that can help you boost your battery when you only have a short amount of time to do so. These are activities that you find pleasant and either energizing or restorative and that do not take a lot of time to complete. These are great options for slipping in between tasks during your day when you feel your energy sagging, but don’t have time for a full entree.
   1. Examples might include: 
      1. Going outside for a few minutes to breathe in the fresh air and observe nature. 
      2. Petting or playing with a pet.
      3. Making and eating a healthy snack. 
2. Entrees - Entrees are like appetizers, except bigger and more filling. They also give you a surge of feel-good energy, but they typically take longer than appetizers, so they can be difficult to fit in between things unless you schedule the time. You can have entrees of various sizes and intensities which can be useful for recharging in different ways and over different spans of time. This might mean an hour over the lunch break, a few hours at the end of the day, or a few days over the weekend or during vacation. Effective entrees typically allow us to connect with things, activities, or people that align us with our sense of purpose and/or create moments of awe.
   1. Examples might include:
      1. Going for a long walk in nature.
      2. Having a meaningful conversation with a trusted friend or family member over dinner.
      3. Engaging in an activity that you love and that keeps you present and connected (camping, running, painting, writing, etc.). 
3. Sides - Sides are small modifications or additions to tasks that you can pair with an activity to make it take less energy to or to add some energy back in at the same time that you are spending it. 
   1. Examples might include:
      1. Listening to calming (or energizing - whatever feels appropriate) music while you do chores or cook dinner.
      2. Sipping on a delicious cup of cocoa or a glass of iced tea and sitting in a comfy chair while you work.
      3. Lowering the lights or lighting a scented candle while you complete a challenging task (*just be mindful of shared spaces and sensory sensitivities).
4. Desserts - Desserts refer to activities that tend to give us a bit of a “break” or a quick dopamine hit, but that don’t usually offer as much lasting recharge. They can also be a bit difficult to stop. Just like an actual dessert, a burst of sugar here or there is fine in moderation, but too much can leave us feeling rough (not to mention the sugar crash). These are often activities that lead to dopamine-seeking loop behaviors, and while they aren’t bad in and of themselves, they also aren’t particularly ‘nutritious’ from a recharge perspective. They also tend to be more of a distraction than they are actually plugging in your emotional battery. The important thing to remember with desserts is that when you choose to engage with them you usually want to use  some kind of limit like a timer so that you don’t accidentally overdo it.
   1. Examples might include:
      1. Scrolling through your social media of choice.
      2. Playing a game on your phone.
      3. Watching a show or videos (especially if you have a tendency to accidentally binge-watch things).

That’s all there is to it! In its simplest form, it's really just a list of options that you can consult when you are feeling depleted. It can be as simple as you want, or as fancy and creative as you like. Some people really enjoy having fun with it - we use menu templates and fill them out to look like actual restaurant menus. I have even had clients print their menus out, laminate them and carry them around in their bags - while others prefer a simple list on their phone. Whatever works for you! Also, remember that your menu (like real restaurant menus) can change over time. If you grow bored with an item or find that it doesn’t really work for you anymore, don’t hesitate to modify it or swap it out. Keeping your menu flexible means that it will be more likely to be useful in helping you recharge. All that matters is that you create something that is tailored to you and that you want to use. And every person’s recharge menu is going to be as unique as they are, which is part of what I love about this practice. It not only gives us a chance to recharge, it also provides an opportunity for us to get to know ourselves better and engage in a little self-compassion along the way!