Why You Should Prioritize Mental Health Habits in 2026

Have you noticed how mental health is being discussed more and more as the years go on? You might have seen students taking mental health days off and celebrities bringing their mental health struggles to light. And remember 2020? The COVID-19 pandemic had pushed forward many discussions on how to deal with isolation, uncertainty, and stress. Nowadays, our mental well-being is considered equal to our physical health, and the studies tell no lies — how we take care of our mental health strongly impacts everything we do!

“Mental health helps determine how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices,” explains Alison Seponara, MS, LPC (1). “Caring for your mental health can lead to improved mood, reduced anxiety, clearer thinking, deeper relationships, improved self-esteem and confidence.” Additionally, it can even help with stress-related conditions like heart disease (1). If you have poor mental health and no outlet for constant physical and/or emotional stress, several conditions may result, including: anxiety, depression, mood disorders, eating disorders, behavioral problems, and substance abuse (2).

While we may not be able to control every factor of our mental wellness capabilities, we can still work on developing strong mental health habits that are essential to living a healthy lifestyle. Let’s discuss some of them!

Practice Self-Reflection

Creating an outlet to decompress and reflect is a great practice to improve your mental health. Using a gratitude journal to focus on the positives in life can be an effective way to raise your spirits. “Having a positive outlook on life, even in your darkest moments, can help your mental health immensely,” says Carolina Wellness Psychiatry (2). Additionally, journaling in general about everything going on — good or bad — can be a great way to reflect on situations and determine your feelings. Isolation for these journaling and self-reflection moments is recommended because it gives you time to identify your feelings in a safe space without any outside distractions.

It is important though to have some sort of interaction with others! Chatting with loved ones about interesting topics, even ones that may seem “silly” or “nontrivial,” or experiencing physical touch like hugs are effective habits to incorporate daily. Interacting with strangers through volunteer work or helping your community can also be beneficial interactions. Go out there and make a difference!

Be Mindful of Social Media

Another form of interaction is through social media, and even though it is an easy way of communication, it may be taking a toll on our mental health (3). In one aspect, using social media can take time away from more healthy activities. Due to the convenience of having a phone in our pockets 24/7, “American adults spend over 11 hours a day interacting with media,” according to The Nielsen Company (3).

In another aspect, the constant perception of the people we grew up with or those of a certain status can cause feelings of inadequacy. “Constantly consuming information about other people’s lives may cause someone to compare themselves and promote feelings of low self-worth, which increases feelings of anxiety and depression,” says Oludara Adeeyo (1). Decreasing your social media use can be healthy mentally, which a study from the University of Pennsylvania supports. The university observed 143 undergraduate students, one group limiting their social media use to 30 minutes per day while the other group used it as normal. After three weeks, the group that limited social media use showed a significant decrease in loneliness and depression (3). The researchers of the study concluded that a limit of 30 minutes of social media use every day can help decrease symptoms of anxiety (3).

Decreasing to 30 minutes when you probably explore TikTok for multiple hours can seem daunting or even impossible — especially when everything seems to be on social media! The important thing is to try to find a balance between staring at your phone and living in the moment. Utilize apps that track your social media use so you can determine a goal of how long you want to be on social media and when to stop for the day. Unfollowing users that you deem are not healthy toward your mental well-being would be a great start as well!

Prioritize Meditation & Mindfulness

A common way to reduce stress is to truly relax your body and mind. To be relieved of physical and mental tension, try meditation and other relaxation techniques such as progressive relaxation, guided imagery, biofeedback, self-hypnosis, and deep breathing (2). A study using the meditation app Calm demonstrated that “there was a significant association between increased temporal similarity in daily meditation app use and improved mental health from using the app” (4).

The increased mindfulness found during meditation can boost one’s mental health, too. Mindfulness, one of the core principles of meditation and yoga, has become a common technique to help maintain mental health. It is described as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally” (3). A lot of us are always “go, go, go!”, but it is important to take the time to pause, step away from the chaos, and be meaningful and thoughtful in our minds.

Going outside and spending time connecting with nature can be beneficial as well. Christopher S. Taylor, PhD, LPC-S, says that “the sun is a great source of vitamin D, and studies show it can improve attitude and mood… five minutes of blue skies can do your mind and your heart some real good” (1). If you spend your day cooped up in your home, consider a quick walk to feel good from the inside out!

Get Good Quality Sleep & Meals

Two of the most simple yet effective mental health habits are a good night’s sleep and a healthy diet. Sleep is necessary, but quality sleep is essential for the body and mind to properly rest and reset for the next day. In a 2021 study made up of 273,695 participants, researchers found that “people who averaged 6 hours of sleep or less per night were about 2.5 times more likely to report frequent mental distress than those who averaged more than 6 hours of sleep” (1). So be sure to get at least seven hours each night!

While quality sleep helps you rest and reset, a quality diet helps you stay energized mentally and physically throughout the day. A good quality diet can boost serotonin and dopamine, the hormones that boost our moods. Dr. Eva Selhub says that what we eat influences our brains and how we function, so diets high in fruits and vegetables, fish, and unprocessed grains are best for regulating serotonin levels (3). Ultimately, improved levels result in better physical and mental health (3).

Berries, bananas, beans, whole grains, and fatty fish are considered mood-boosting foods, while diets involving alcohol, caffeine, refined carbs, and added sugars may worsen anxiety symptoms (1). A more balanced diet where the good stuff outweighs the not-so-good stuff should be beneficial when developing better mental health habits. And do not forget about staying hydrated throughout the day! “When you’re dehydrated, you’re denying your brain and body the nutrients needed to survive and operate at a more optimal level,” Adeeyo notes (1). Keep a water bottle with you at all times or perhaps an electrolyte-rich drink like The Plug, which works to keep you feeling steady instead of sluggish.

Move Your Body

Do you want to boost your mental health even further? Then get moving! Exercising — even just a few times a week — has been found to alleviate anxiety and depression, improve stress, and boost self-esteem and cognitive health (5). If you are not one to go to the gym or play sports, just stretching can significantly help with your mental health. “Stretching will help with blood flow and get more oxygen through your body, which can help you feel more relaxed and happy,” says Taylor (1).

Additionally, for all the sports lovers, several reports have suggested that engagement in sports positively influences mental health (5). Not only are you being active and utilizing various muscles, but the time spent with close teammates can be beneficial. Going to the gym or taking walks with friends is a win-win situation for your mental well-being. Be sure not to overdo it though, and don’t forget to rest and rehydrate with The Plug after your sweat sessions!

You’ve Got This, PlugFAM!

Taking advantage of the benefits in all of these areas have shown to lead toward stronger mental health habits. Life happens though, so maintaining these daily habits consistently will be challenging but not impossible to build back up! After dealing with the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a greater need to discuss mental health and how to remain resilient in prioritizing a healthy lifestyle.

We hope that you implement these habits, PlugFAM, so that together we can be unstoppable! Prioritize your mental well-being, and good things will follow you in 2026.

Bibliography

1. Tartakovsky M. 8 Daily Habits to Boost Mental Health — and Signs It May Be Time to Get Support [Internet]. Healthline. Updated 2025 May 8. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/habits-to-improve-mental-health 

2. 5 Habits to Help Improve Your Mental Health [Internet]. Carolina Wellness Psychiatry. Available from: https://www.carolinawellnesspsychiatry.com/blog/5-habits-to-help-improve-your-mental-health 

3. Nelson A. Healthy Habits to Improve Mental Health [Internet]. Utah State TODAY | Utah State University. 2019 Mar 20. Available from: https://www.usu.edu/today/story/healthy-habits-to-improve-mental-health

4. Stecher C, Berardi V, Fowers R, Christ J, Chung Y, Huberty J. Identifying App-Based Meditation Habits and the Associated Mental Health Benefits: Longitudinal Observational Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research [Internet]. 2021;23(11):e27282. Available from: https://www.jmir.org/2021/11/e27282 

5. Fujiwara H, Tsurumi K, Shibata M, Kobayashi K, Miyagia T, Ueno T, et al. Life Habits and Mental Health: Behavioural Addiction, Health Benefits of Daily Habits, and the Reward System. Front. Psychiatry [Internet]. 2022 Jan 26;13. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.813507/full