Here’s one tip for a better start to your week.

Struggling to finish your to-do list? Try pairing it with a dopamenu — aka, a list of fun activities that boost dopamine, which in turn, helps you to get through the not-so-fun things. As clinical social worker and therapist Melissa Gottlieb explained, dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with “the reward center of your brain,” so it can keep you feeling motivated.

Of course, when you’re in a rut, thinking of things that’ll inspire and energize you can feel like yet another task. In that case, dopamenus “take the challenge out of decision making. They’re a shorthand way to refer to [your motivators] quickly,” Gottlieb said. Now, to make your own menu, think of the one at your favorite restaurant. Meaning...

Appetizers: Just like small dishes or starters, these should be “quick things that can help you refocus, like hugging your dog, going for a [short] walk, or grabbing a coffee,” Gottlieb said. 

Entrées: Here, think bigger. Tap into a list of “activities that take a little longer, but may also give you more dopamine, energy, and motivation to work toward that longer term goal,” Gottlieb explained. That could be meeting a friend for lunch, doing something crafty, or reading a page-turner. 

Sides: This is where you can really get creative. That’s because sides can be “built into an activity you’re already doing,” Gottlieb said. For example, only watching your guilty pleasure TV show at the gym. “That way, you’re [attaching] a reward with exercising,” she explained, which can help build a habit. Other food for thought? Listening to music while cleaning or calling a friend while folding laundry.

...Oh and if you’re worried about having too much fun (as in, you never make it back to your chores), Gottlieb had a suggestion: “Put on a timer. Say to yourself, ‘I’m going to go for a walk. It’s going to be 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, I’m coming home and doing this task.’”