You sit down to start a task you care about. Nothing happens. You open your phone instead. Minutes turn into hours. You feel restless, flat, or oddly exhausted, even though you haven’t done much at all.

For many neurodivergent people, this cycle is painfully familiar. It’s often described as a motivation problem or a focus issue. But for those who are ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or autistic and ADHD (AuDHD), these experiences are closely linked to how dopamine – a vital brain chemical involved in motivation and reward – is regulated.

Due to this experience, some neurodivergent people have started to turn to a simple tool: the “dopamine menu”. Popularised in 2020 by Jessica McCabe, a YouTuber and ADHD advocate, a dopamine menu is a personalised list of activities that can help provide small, regular boosts of motivation and pleasure throughout the day.

For people who find themselves stuck or overwhelmed, it offers a structured way to access activities that feel rewarding or regulating. But to understand why this approach can be helpful, it is important to understand what dopamine is and how it works.

Dopamine is often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, but this is an oversimplification. While it does play a role in pleasure, dopamine is also closely linked to motivation, anticipation and the ability to initiate and sustain tasks.

It is produced in three areas of the brain: the hypothalamus, substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area. Outside the brain, it is also released from the adrenal glands, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

Dopamine is involved in multiple cognitive processes including learning, attention, mood regulation, focus, memory and reward. It also plays a role in pain perception, sleep and movement.

Dopamine is released in response to certain activities such as spending money, eating, drinking and sex. This dopamine “burst” reinforces that we like this activity and motivates us to do it again. Not all dopamine increases are equal. Some activities provide short, intense bursts, while others lead to more gradual and sustained changes.

Why this matters for neurodivergent people

Some neurodivergent people have a different relationship to dopamine than neurotypical people. The most discussed neurotype when it comes to dopamine is ADHD.

Research suggests that people with ADHD typically have a lower baseline level of dopamine, and may process it differently. This can lead to a greater drive to seek stimulation.

People with ADHD are also more likely to develop addictions, such as to substances, video games, gambling or the internet, and are at higher risk of relapse. This demonstrates the importance of appropriate, tailored support, rather than framing such behaviour as purely a matter of choice.

Regardless of neurotype, many people find themselves turning to quick, easily accessible sources of dopamine, such as scrolling on a phone. While these can provide short-term relief, they are often not satisfying in the longer term and may leave people feeling more depleted.

Designing your own sources of reward

This is where dopamine menus can be helpful. Rather than relying on a narrow set of high-intensity activities, a dopamine menu provides a wider range of options that can support more consistent regulation throughout the day.

In her 2020 video, Jessica McCabe describes dopamine menus in sections, although they can be adapted to suit individual needs.

“Appetisers” are small, quick activities such as watering plants or making a coffee. “Meals” are more substantial activities that take longer, such as going for a walk, cooking or playing a board game. “Sides” are additions that make less enjoyable tasks more appealing, such as adding music or a podcast. “Desserts” are enjoyable activities best used in moderation, such as scrolling on social media or watching television. While “specials” are less frequent, more novel experiences, such as attending an event, eating out or going on a trip.

The process of creating a dopamine menu starts with identifying activities you enjoy and considering how they might fit into your daily routine. Making these activities more accessible – for example, leaving a yoga mat out or preparing materials in advance – can reduce the effort required to get started. It can also be helpful to add small barriers to activities you are trying to reduce.

What’s important is that dopamine menus are not to-do lists. They are optional, flexible and designed to reduce pressure rather than create it. By enabling us to decide in advance what feels supportive or enjoyable, they can reduce the cognitive load of choosing what to do in moments of low motivation.

So, rather than fixing a lack of motivation, dopamine menus offer a way of working with the brain’s natural rhythms, and creating space for small moments of energy, interest and ease throughout the day.

Signs have gone up at the supermarket in the Great Park development in Newcastle confirming the fishmonger and butcher stands will reopen this month.

They confirm “fresh cuts are back on the block” with “skilled butchers” returning to the store on Monday (June 22).

A week later on Monday, June 29, the fish counter will reopen, with signage reading: “Dive into fresh fish done right, with skilled fishmongers preparing your fish just how you like it.”

The butcher counter will reopen on June 22. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The retailer closed both stands at its Great Park town centre shop in April last year.

Great Park Morrisons store. (Image: PR)

It came after the chain confirmed last March that 52 cafes, all of its 18 market kitchens, 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies would close with 365 staff facing redundancy.

At the time Rami Baitieh, Morrisons’ chief executive, said the changes were a “necessary part of our plans to renew and reinvigorate” the brand as some areas were “simply uneconomic”.

The Great Park store’s café, which also closed last year, is not reopening.

The fish counter will reopen on June 29. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The 20,000sq ft supermarket only opened in March 2023, after residents of the huge estate spent years campaigning for one.

Earlier this month Morrisons named four former McColl’s stores – now branded as Morrisons Daily – on a ‘hit list’ of seven shops earmarked to close in the coming months.

Featured on the list are stores on Queen Street in Redcar, on Zetland Road in Loftus, on Esk Close in Guisborough, and on Stokesley High Street. 

The retailer said its convenience stores are subject to continuous review, but the stores to be closed have been loss-making, despite remedial action.

A statement continued: “This situation has been exacerbated in more recent years by significant cost increases resulting from Government policy choices, which have made returning these stores to profitability even more difficult.”

Italian news agency Ansa reported that the Italian ambassador to the Dominican Republic met the deceased woman’s husband at the hospital. The embassy is helping around 285 Italian tourists who were staying at the resort or nearby, issuing emergency passports to those whose travel documents were destroyed in the fire and arranging flights home.

Festival-goers are can look forward to clear skies on day two of Scotland’s biggest music festival

Scots heading to TRNSMT on Saturday, June 20, will enjoy better conditions than its rainy day one kick off . While clouds aren’t going away just yet, sunny spells are in the majority for Glasgow.

Music revellers gathered in a rather wet Glasgow Green on Friday, June 19, to enjoy the first day of TRNSMT music festival. Despite getting off to a drenching start, conditions cleared for revellers to enjoy Richard Ashcroft’s closing set followed by a stint in the fan zone to watch Scotland’s World Cup defeat.

Met Office weather maps for today show temperatures starting off strong, reaching a balmy 15C by noon. As the day progresses, this number is to rise gradually before peaking at 18C by 2pm. The mercury will gradually drop into the evening but is to remain in the mid teens.

The Met Office said in its Strathclyde forecast for Saturday: “This morning will be dry although one or two showers possible across Argyll. Then this afternoon will be dry with some bright or sunny intervals, Maximum temperature 18C.”

For tonight, the national forecaster adds: “This evening will be dry with some late sunshine. Then the rest of the night will remain dry with some lengthy clear periods. Light winds. Minimum temperature 10C.”

Music fans with Sunday tickets are to be the luckiest weather wise, with temperatures climbing further. “All parts will have a dry day with some sunny spells, some cloud bubbling up by afternoon. Warm. Maximum temperature 21C,” the Met Office added.

This warming weather is due to a band of pressure that has been gradually rising northwards which will allow Southern Scotland to enjoy warmer weather. However the same can’t be said for Northern Scotland, where scattered showers can be expected.

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TRNSMT’s Saturday line-up will see acts like The Fratellis, English Teacher and The Last Dinner Party take to the main stage throughout the day, with Kasabian closing as the final headline act.

Loyle Carner is the main headliner for the notable King Tut’s stage and a number of new acts will light up the BBC Introducing Stage.

It comes after footage was shared of a large crowd of revellers caught in a brawl at the festival site on Friday evening. The video showed two teens punch each other by the Big Wheel before a steward eventually got involved and broke up the scrap.

Fans heading along today will want to check out TRNSMT’s bar prices to get prepared. The festival also imposes strict rules for ID and for what can and cannot be brought into the site.

Lilla was rushed to A&E after being struck by the e-bike rider.

Nicky Campbell’s daughter was rushed to hospital after being struck by an e-bike.

The BBC broadcaster said Lilla, 26, was with her sisters in the Peckham area of London when the incident unfolded on Friday night.

Taking to Instagram, he said: “‘It’s been a long and emotional night.

“My daughter Lilla was hit by an e-bike hit-and-run last night in Peckham – hopefully there is CCTV.’

He said he hoped CCTV footage would be able to track the rider down, who allegedly “scarpered” once the ambulance arrived.

Lilla was taken to A&E at King’s College Hospital for treatment.

He continued: “She is badly injured but now at home.

“It could have been so much worse. We are incredibly lucky.”

Campbell went on to thank emergency services.

“The police were magnificent,” he said. He went on to add that the hospital staff were ‘wonderful’, and called them ‘superb’.

Police in London and across the border in Scotland have launched a clampdown on illegal e-bikes activity and modified bikes.

Commander Neerav Patel, who leads the Met’s operations against illegal e-bikes, said: ‘Officers will be using an intelligence-led approach to precisely target hotspots, make arrests, and clear thousands of illegal vehicles from our streets.’

‘We are not starting from scratch,’ adding the force has ‘already seized over 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters in the last year’.

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The extreme weather is expected to be driven by the global El Niño climate pattern.

Chris McIlroy, a lawn specialist at The Grass People, said: “We won’t know the true impact of El Nino this summer until it’s upon us.

“But after an unseasonably warm spring, it’s sensible to predict a hot summer is to follow.

“Taking steps to prepare your garden now will go a long way in ensuring it stays vibrant throughout the summer.”

Mr McIlroy recommends aerating lawns to help them withstand the heat.

He said: “You don’t necessarily need fancy equipment to aerate your lawn, using a pitch fork will suffice.

“It can prevent the lawn becoming compacted, so that water can seep through instead of just sitting on top.”

Feeding the lawn before the hottest months can also promote healthy growth, but over-fertilising can be damaging.

Mr McIlroy said: “Too much fertiliser can do more harm than good, particularly as temperatures rise.

“Opt for balanced or potassium-rich feeds rather than high-nitrogen products on your lawn, which can encourage vulnerable growth.

“Feeding plants can also help build their resilience, too.”

He also advises raising the mower blade as summer approaches.

Mr McIlroy said: “Letting your grass grow a little longer before a heatwave gives it a head start.

“Longer grass shades the soil, helping it retain moisture when it matters most.

“Set your mower blades to a higher setting so you’re not cutting too much off.”

Adopting a smart watering routine is also key to lawn survival during hot spells.

Mr McIlroy said: “Training yourself to water at the right time before a heatwave arrives means it becomes second nature when you really need it.

“Avoid the middle of the day, when water is likely to evaporate before it can soak through to the grass roots.

“Establish a habit of watering first thing in the morning.”

He also recommends installing a water butt.

Mr McIlroy said: “Also, install a water butt so any rainfall is captured and can be used as a resource if hosepipe bans come into force.”

Do you enjoy the heat? Let us know in the comments

Industry experts are warning that food prices may climb, despite the UK’s current rate of inflation holding steady.

While inflation has not increased in recent months, the Bank of England says global events could soon put pressure on supermarket bills.

Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “While the war in the Middle East pushes prices up globally, we have got the right economic plan and inflation has held steady.”

However, Karen Betts, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), said the impact of Middle East disruptions on food prices has not yet filtered through.

Ms Betts told The Sun: “It’s good to see an easing of food inflation in May, but consumer prices still don’t reflect the inflation caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“It generally takes several months for the increased costs paid by farmers, processors and manufacturers to filter into raised prices at the tills… and we expect food inflation to pick up this year and into next.”

Economists had forecast that inflation would rise to three per cent in May, making the latest figures a relief for many households.

Jim Mellon, chief executive of Agronomics, said: “Global conflicts, along with climate change, are causing food shortages, supply chain issues and price spikes in the UK and beyond.”

George Philips, commercial director at Wains, the UK’s largest World Food distributor and wholesaler, said items at risk of price rises include bottled water, cooking oil, washing up liquid, tea, coffee, rice, sugar, meat, milk, bread, pasta, and cereal.

Retail analysts at Omnisend noted that rising oil and gas prices are making the transport of goods more expensive.

Marty Bauer, a retail analyst, said: “That extra cost rarely disappears, and most of Britain’s biggest retailers will likely do anything to avoid it impacting their margins, so unfortunately, it tends to be passed down the chain, while making sure to avoid deterring consumers entirely.”

The ONS said that food inflation is slow compared to other areas of consumer spending.

Have you noticed a rise in prices? Let us know in the comments

Two roadside bombs in restive northwestern Pakistan killed at least seven people on Saturday, authorities said.

The first targeted a vehicle, while the second went off as rescuers responded to the blast in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, senior police official Yasir Afridi said, adding both were controlled remotely.

Mr Afridi said five people were killed in the first blast and two in the second. Three people were also wounded, he said.

A search operation to find those responsible is underway.

“A private pick-up truck carrying passengers was targeted with a remote-controlled IED,” said Mr Afridi, using a common acronym for a homemade bomb.

“The injured were being transported to hospital in a car for emergency treatment when a second IED exploded,” he said, adding that three people were wounded.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, who have been blamed for similar attacks in the past.

President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the bombings. In a statement, he conveyed condolences to the families of those killed and prayed for the speedy recovery of the wounded.

Without naming any group, Mr Zardari issued a warning to “internal and external handlers of terrorism” who provide safe havens, logistical support and financial assistance to militant networks.

Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant violence in recent years, much of it claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, Afghanistan’s Taliban, who seized power in Kabul in 2021.

Pakistani officials say many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary across the border in Afghanistan, although the Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly denied these accusations.

Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated sharply in recent months, with tensions spilling over into military confrontations, including Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Pakistan said air strikes near the frontier killed at least 26 Taliban fighters. Afghan authorities, however, said the attacks left 12 civilians dead.

The main border crossings have remained largely shut since violence intensified in October, hampering trade and restricting the movement of people and goods between the two countries.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after the Yamaha, with a black and yellow fuel tank, was stolen in Bleriot Way, Clifton Moor, at around 1pm on Friday, June 12.

The force said the motorcycle was taken from the car park of the owner’s workplace.

A police spokesperson said a man had taken the motorcycle and “wheeled it away from the area”.

They urged anyone who has seen the bike to contact North Yorkshire Police.

“If anyone has seen the bike in the image attached or has any information as to who may currently be in possession of it please could you get in touch,” the police spokesperson said.

“If you can help our appeal, please email peter.henderson@northyorkshire.police.uk

“Or call 101 and ask for PC1668 Henderson.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote reference 12260109032 when passing on information.”