I Tried Using a “Dopamine Menu,” and It Helped Me Cut Down on Clutter
Dealing with clutter is such an emotionally fraught undertaking, but there’s a way to use these complicated feelings to our advantage. For years I’ve been fascinated by the connection between dopamine and cleaning (I’ve even written about it in the past). And with “dopamine menu” trending on social media, I’ve started to consider more ways to use this reward-related neurotransmitter as a way to cut down on clutter.
A dopamine menu revolves around people sharing their personal ways to find enjoyment in the slower aspects of everyday life (think: a coffee-making ritual at home, or making it a point to watch the sunset). But the dopamine menu posted by Erica Layne (@thelifeonpurposemovement) stopped me in my tracks with its brilliance.
She suggests tapping into the menu “when you’re tempted to shop for things you don’t need.” Her dopamine menu not only halts the accumulation of clutter by preventing unnecessary shopping, but it also reinforces healthy habits that themselves keep your home tidy and clutter-free.
Here’s how it works: While buying something gives you a cheap shot of pleasure, the danger is twofold. Not only are you adding clutter to your home, but you also risk getting addicted to this money-wasting, clutter-creating action. However, replacing this temptation with the reward that comes from tasks that better serve your home is a win-win. You’re actually training your brain to crave activities that not only don’t create clutter, but also deal with it.
The menu posted by Layne includes tasks like detangling cords, cleaning out your makeup bag, and organizing your closet. I love her suggestions and plan to incorporate them into my own repertoire of feel-good tasks that create good habits with a hit of dopamine as I complete them.
Here are some of mine.
Make any unmade beds in the house. This creates instant order in a room that previously felt unkempt.
Pick up messes in any given room of the house. This might take only a couple of minutes, but the result lasts much longer.
Straighten up the bookshelves.
Do the “Take Away 10” method (alone is fine).
Wash the dishes in the sink.
Fold a load of laundry.
Organize the junk drawer.
Clean out my purse.
While I have always turned to small cleaning or organizing tasks when I feel a bit out of control, I love the way Layne ties such tasks to breaking a habit of consumption. Empowered by the knowledge that the dopamine hit I get when I complete a task reinforces a behavior, I can’t wait to purposefully harness this habit-forming neurotransmitter for the good of my household. It’s such a great way to close out the year and bring in the new one — a bit more clutter-free.
Further Reading
I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
