Why 38 Percent of Americans Made Mental Health Resolutions for 2026

Something interesting happened at the start of 2026. When pollsters asked Americans about their New Year’s resolutions, mental health topped the list for nearly four in ten people. Not weight loss - not saving money. Not quitting smoking.

Mental health.

That’s a pretty big shift from even five years ago, when “hit the gym more” dominated every resolution roundup. So what changed? And more importantly, what does this mean for you if you’re one of the 38 percent-or thinking about joining them?

The Numbers Tell a Story

The statistic comes from a December 2025 survey by the American Psychological Association, which found that 38 percent of U. S. adults planned to prioritize their mental health as a primary resolution for 2026. For context, that’s up from 23 percent in 2020.

But here’s what caught my attention: it wasn’t just younger generations driving this trend. Sure, Gen Z and millennials led the charge (48 percent and 44 percent respectively), but even among boomers, the number hit 27 percent. That’s over a quarter of a generation that grew up when therapy was whispered about, not posted on Instagram.

What’s pushing this shift? A few things seem to be converging.

First, the pandemic permanently changed how we talk about mental health. Those years of isolation, anxiety, and collective trauma normalized conversations that used to happen behind closed doors. Second, therapy and mental wellness content saturated social media. Suddenly everyone’s therapist had a TikTok account explaining attachment styles. Third-and this one matters-employers started covering mental health services like they actually meant it.

What “Mental Health Resolution” Actually Means

Here’s where it gets interesting. When researchers dug deeper into what people meant by a “mental health resolution,” the answers varied wildly.

For some, it meant finally booking that first therapy appointment. For others, it was committing to a daily meditation practice or cutting back on doomscrolling. Some people defined it as setting better boundaries with family. A few even mentioned wanting to get off medications they’d relied on for years-though that’s a conversation for your doctor, not a New Year’s Eve promise.

The variety matters because it shows mental health isn’t one thing anymore. It’s become an umbrella term covering everything from clinical treatment to self-care rituals to simply giving yourself permission to feel your feelings.

And that’s mostly good - mostly.

The Potential Problem With Wellness Culture

I need to be honest here. Not everyone celebrating this trend thinks it’s entirely positive.

Some therapists worry that lumping serious mental illness with generic “wellness” dilutes the urgency of conditions like major depression, bipolar disorder, or PTSD. When everything becomes self-care, the people who genuinely need professional intervention might feel like their struggles are just another lifestyle choice to improve.

There’s also the commercialization angle. The mental wellness industry is projected to hit $200 billion globally by 2027. That’s a lot of meditation apps, weighted blankets, and adaptogenic mushroom supplements competing for your attention. Not all of it works. Some of it is genuinely helpful. Sorting out which is which takes effort most people don’t have.

But here’s my take: the benefits of destigmatization outweigh the downsides of commodification. Yes, some companies are profiting off anxiety. But more people seeking help-even imperfect help-beats the alternative of suffering in silence.

Making Your Mental Health Resolution Actually Stick

So let’s say you’re one of the 38 percent. You’ve decided 2026 is your year to take mental health seriously. How do you avoid the fate of most resolutions, which research suggests are abandoned by mid-February?

Start specific. “Improve my mental health” is a vibe, not a plan. What does improvement look like for you? Maybe it’s reducing your anxiety from a 7 to a 4 on whatever internal scale you use. Maybe it’s having fewer panic attacks. Maybe it’s finally addressing the childhood stuff you’ve been avoiding. Get concrete.

Then work backward. If your goal is reducing anxiety, what tools actually help with that? Therapy - medication? Exercise - breathwork? Some combination? Pick one or two approaches and commit to them for at least 90 days before deciding they don’t work.

Here’s something people forget: mental health improvements often feel worse before they feel better. Starting therapy can surface emotions you’ve been suppressing for years. Beginning a meditation practice might make you more aware of your anxious thoughts, not less. That discomfort is part of the process, not evidence that you’re failing.

The Role of Professional Help

Look, I’m not going to pretend that journaling and cold showers will fix clinical depression. They won’t. If you’re dealing with a diagnosable condition, professional help isn’t optional-it’s the foundation everything else builds on.

The good news - access has genuinely improved. Telehealth therapy became mainstream during the pandemic and stayed that way. Many insurance plans now cover mental health services at parity with physical health. Apps like BetterHelp and Talkspace, despite legitimate criticisms, have introduced therapy to people who’d never have walked into an office.

If cost is still a barrier-and it is for many people-look into community mental health centers, sliding-scale therapists, or support groups. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

Small Changes That Actually Matter

Not everyone needs therapy. Sometimes what you need is simpler.

Sleep, for instance. The relationship between sleep and mental health is bidirectional-poor sleep worsens mental health, and mental health issues disrupt sleep. Fixing one often helps the other. If you’re getting six hours a night and wondering why you feel anxious and irritable, start there.

Movement helps too. Not because exercise is a magic cure, but because your brain and body aren’t separate systems. Even 20 minutes of walking changes your neurochemistry in measurable ways.

Social connection-and I mean real connection, not scrolling through other people’s lives-matters more than most interventions. Loneliness is genuinely bad for your brain. If your mental health resolution doesn’t include some component of strengthening relationships, you’re missing a big lever.

And yes, reducing phone time probably belongs on the list. The research here is complicated and often exaggerated, but there’s enough evidence linking excessive social media use to depression and anxiety that it’s worth experimenting with limits.

What Success Looks Like

Here’s a question worth sitting with: how will you know if your mental health resolution worked?

It probably won’t feel like the transformation Instagram promises. You won’t wake up one day and realize you’re healed, whatever that means. Mental health progress is usually gradual, inconsistent, and hard to see when you’re in it.

Better metrics might be: Do you recover faster from bad days? Can you tolerate difficult emotions without immediately numbing them? Are your relationships improving? Do you feel more like yourself, whatever version of yourself you actually want to be?

Those changes compound over time. A year from now, you might look back and realize you’re handling things that would have wrecked you in 2025.

The Bigger Picture

There’s something meaningful about 38 percent of Americans deciding their mental health deserves the same attention as their physical health. It suggests we’re finally recognizing what research has shown for decades: the mind and body aren’t separate, and neglecting one damages the other.

But individual resolutions won’t fix systemic problems. Mental health care is still too expensive, too scarce, and too unevenly distributed. The workplace policies and social conditions creating so much anxiety and depression in the first place haven’t fundamentally changed. Personal wellness is important. It’s also not a substitute for collective action.

Still, you have to start somewhere. And starting with yourself-taking your mental health seriously, seeking help when you need it, building sustainable practices-isn’t selfish. It’s necessary.

The 38 percent got that right. Here’s hoping they stick with it past February.