--- title: Mental-Health Resolutions for 2024, According to Therapists description: Therapists wish we would resolve to rethink social-media use, reconnect with someone we lost touch with, and stop ruminating about work. canonical: https://time.com/6371479/mental-health-resolutions-2024/ author: Angela Haupt article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-12-27T12:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:48:48.635Z article:section: Health og:title: 9 Mental-Health Resolutions for 2024, According to Therapists og:description: Among them: rethink social-media use, reconnect with a long lost friend, and stop ruminating about work. og:url: https://time.com/6371479/mental-health-resolutions-2024/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c175ee1e44ffaeb/698a435b9d83e898c9b97fcb/TIME.COM-mental-health-resolutions.gif?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1440 og:image:height: 810 og:image:alt: TIME.COM mental-health resolutions og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 9 Mental-Health Resolutions for 2024, According to Therapists twitter:description: Among them: rethink social-media use, reconnect with a long lost friend, and stop ruminating about work. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c175ee1e44ffaeb/698a435b9d83e898c9b97fcb/TIME.COM-mental-health-resolutions.gif?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 9 Mental-Health Resolutions for 2024, According to Therapists > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Therapists Raise Red Flags About Using 'Therapy Speak' Online [Watch (HLS stream): Therapists Raise Red Flags About Using 'Therapy Speak' Online](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oxvh4VUE.m3u8) (4:07)  _Published 2023-08-24. The classic vision of therapy revolved around a person on a couch, supine, tapping into their deepest and darkest hopes and fears. A modern-day remix might look like this: a person still on a couch, but at home, scrolling through a constantly refreshing selection of mental-health content on social-media platforms like TikTok and Instagram._  by [Angela Haupt](https://time.com/author/angela-haupt/)  ## Angela Haupt Dec 27, 2023 12:00 PM UTC  Illustrations by Brown Bird Design for TIME  by [Angela Haupt](https://time.com/author/angela-haupt/)  ## Angela Haupt Dec 27, 2023 12:00 PM UTC Whether you feel reborn—or even just a little bit reset—at the start of a new year, consider making your mental health a priority in 2024\. Why? “Because that’s the gateway to everything else,” says Guy Winch, a clinical psychologist, author of _Emotional First Aid_, and co-host of the _Dear Therapists_ podcast. “It’s the linchpin that allows you to succeed or to fail.” With that in mind, we asked Winch and other experts to share the [New Year’s resolutions](https://time.com/6243642/how-to-keep-new-years-resolutions-2/) they wish people would make in the name of mental health. ## **1\. Rethink your social-media use** Spend some time reflecting on whether you’d like to continue with the same online habits in 2024, says Nedra Glover Tawwab, a therapist and author of _Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself_. (If it’s hard to stop scrolling long enough to have an earnest conversation with yourself, take it as a sign that you need a change.) “Do you want to set some boundaries for yourself? Are there people you need to unfollow?” asks Tawwab. For example, you might limit yourself to 15 minutes on social media per day—or delete the most time-sucking apps from your phone during the work week. You could also challenge yourself not to [check social media](https://time.com/6333257/social-media-addiction-study/) when you’re feeling glum, which is like throwing fuel on an already simmering fire. “The top of the year is a great time to consider how you want to do the rest of the year,” Tawwab says. ## **2\. Reconnect with a long lost friend** That old adage—”Make new friends, but keep the old”—is one to live by, especially considering that loneliness [affects physical and mental health](https://www.cdc.gov/emotional-wellbeing/social-connectedness/loneliness.htm), while [strong social bonds](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add3715) are a salve. In 2024, Winch suggests resolving to reach out to “one person you lost touch with who used to be dear to you.” If you’re not sure how to open the conversation, he recommends sending a text message like this: “I was thinking about you. It’s been so long. How are you?” End the note with a smiley face, he adds. “That’s important because when you say, ‘It’s been so long,’ it can sound accusatory." A smiley face, Winch says, can ensure the real meaning— "I miss you"—comes across. Americans have an empathy deficit, says Calvin Fitch, a clinical health psychologist with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He believes fostering empathy is the antidote to the divisiveness ripping society apart. “The fortunate thing about empathy is that it can be trained,” he says. “It can grow.” ### More From TIME ## **3\. Develop empathy for someone different from you** In 2024, connect with someone from a group you have a moderate level of difficulty understanding, Fitch suggests. You could follow someone from a different political, religious, or ethnic background on social media, spend time in their community, or even read about a fictional character from that group. “Aim to understand their perspective and read their emotions,” he says. “Try to be able to thoughtfully answer these questions: What makes this person happy? What makes them worried? What are their dreams? What experiences and emotions have shaped their world view? And how are their thought patterns similar to mine?” As Fitch points out, people with high levels of empathy tend to function better in society than those with low levels—with [more robust social networks and closer relationships](https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1702155114). ## **4\. Stop ruminating about work** This can be the year you stop spending evenings replaying upsetting thoughts about the workday, or engaging in fantasy duels with your rude boss. The simplest way to counteract these unproductive thoughts—which might trigger a visceral stress response, like chest tightness—is to convert whatever you’re ruminating about into a problem-solving question, Winch says. Say you’re spiraling over how much work you have to do and how you’ll never get it done. “That’s the ruminative thought,” Winch says. “The problem-solving version is a scheduling question. When do I have time to deal with the thing that’s bothering me? What can I move or reprioritize? Do I need to look at my schedule to reassure myself I do have time?” Figuring that out, he says, allows you to “ease the stress and distress and continue on with your evening.” ## **5\. Slate four activities each week** One way to buffer ourselves against life’s stressors is to engage in a wide variety of activities, Fitch advises. First, seek out something that’s pleasurable, like going to a football game or belting out your favorite Taylor Swift album. This sort of fun activity “decreases your reactivity to stress by helping you accumulate more positive events than negative ones,” he says. Then check off a “mastery activity,” like cleaning your house or running errands you’ve been delaying. You might not want to do them, but you’ll almost certainly feel better once they’re done. Also key are being social—[a sense of belonging](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00093/full) facilitates better health—and doing physical activities that get your heart rate going. ## **6\. Do one small thing to alleviate climate anxiety** If you’re distressed about the state of the planet—and [more of us are](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196%2821%2900278-3/fulltext)—festering in your thoughts will likely exacerbate the situation. Instead, take a cue from Winch’s family: Each year, they pledge to do one thing to ease their [climate anxiety](https://time.com/6112146/climate-anxiety-resources/), like eliminating plastic bags, composting food scraps, or walking 15 minutes to nearby destinations in lieu of driving. “It’s overwhelming—I feel like I can't get my arms around it,” he says. “But doing one small thing is a way of feeling like you’re upping your game.” ## **7\. Write a thank you letter** Being grateful is linked with an [array of benefits](https://time.com/6245117/gratitude-how-to-practice/), including [improved mental health](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10503307.2016.116933)—but that hinges on practicing it in a way that feels natural to you. Once a year or so, Winch likes to write a thank you letter to someone who did a small thing that they might not have realized had a big impact on him. “I tell them the context, and I tell them why I’m reminding them of something they have no recollection of,” he says. Once, hereached out to someone he had shared a summer house rental with years prior. The two are now close friends, but at the time, they didn’t know each other—yet the then-stranger had picked up a set of toiletries for him, since there weren’t any there.“It was so lovely and considerate and warm,” he says, and helped him feel immediately at ease. Now, thanks to Winch’s letter, his friend knows exactly how he feels—a boon for both of them. ## **8\. Write ‘you time’ into your schedule every day** It could be just 10 minutes twice a day. The key is embracing designated time that’s all about you—and making it a standing meeting on your calendar. That way, “it’s seen as just as productive as any other business appointment you have,” says Kelsey Latimer, a clinical psychologist based in Florida. You might go on a quick walk outside, do some stretches, or close your eyes and embark on a guided meditation, she suggests. Silence your phone and close your office door (or Slack app) to let the people around you know you’re briefly unavailable. You’ll be much happier, and feel more energized, the rest of the day. ## **9\. Check in with a professional** You could set all the mental-health resolutions in the world and still benefit from talking with a therapist or other licensed professional—someone who’s trained to help you optimize your well-being. If you’ve been to therapy in the past, the start of the year is a terrific time to schedule a catch-up session, Tawwab says; if it’s a new idea, check a directory like those run by [Psychology Today](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us) or [Good Therapy](https://www.goodtherapy.org/) to [find someone who’s available and affordable near you](https://time.com/6240153/how-to-find-a-therapist/). “Do a mental health check-in just to make sure those bigger things are addressed, and to get their opinion on things that are coming up,” she notes. A therapist will be able to arm you with the tools you need to thrive in 2024—and beyond. ## Transcript For mental health issues you might be avoiding right now. One, you don't have the life you had before the pandemic. You never will again. When the pandemic was happening and everyone was experiencing lots of like mental health issues, it put a spotlight on mental health creators that were posting online. You can't love someone else until you love yourself as bullsht. Because one end implies that people with low self-esteem or mental health issues are incapable of loving others. Just so. With that, I have a disclaimer on my, you know, TikTok and Instagram that this is not therapy or my mental health pics are not specifically tailored to you. Sure, I'm a licensed therapist, but I'm not your lessons therapist. All the online spaces where I share content. Yes. Even those livestreams where you shoot me questions are not therapy sessions, so I want somebody to like taking my content and then think about it and analyze it. Therapy speak is a new way of saying psychobabble. They're usually more like vulnerable words that talk about like the primary emotions that you're experiencing. But there's other ways that people are using that language, hurt people or manipulate people or control people or sort of like shut down conversations. There's a difference between selfishness and grandiosity and narcissism. It's very rare that you would be diagnosed with a narcissistic personality disorder. They tend to believe everything is everyone else's fault, and it comes out of early childhood. There is a stage of development where your ego is separate from other people's ego, and you're able to see that both of those are important. Something is wrong and that development and it leads someone having a really hard time seeing other people's needs as important as their own. Gaslighting is a pretty popular term these days, and what it means is somebody is trying to manipulate you into believing in a reality that's not true. But sometimes people are like, What? You're disagreeing with me. You're not validating my experience, you're gaslighting me, which is not actually what they're doing. So if you say that somebody is a gaslighter, that can be like a pretty incendiary accusation. You and I think that everybody should clearly express what their boundaries are in relationships. It's sort of like a blueprint that you'll offer somebody. So a healthy boundary that somebody might create is I'm not going to continue talking to you if you start to yell at me a different way to use boundaries. That's not exactly correct is to try to control somebody's behavior and manipulate somebody's behavior. You're allowed to say, I don't want to go to dinner, right? That's a boundary. But to be like, you know, well, I'll go if you go to this kind of place, but I'm not going to go if you go to this kind of place and you can't tell me, I can't because I'm allowed to set boundaries. Right. You're now like over stating it. Five small but very brave green flags in a relationship. One you sense their connection with you throughout the day. We keep talking for decades and decades and decades in the field of how we can improve mental health. And the reality is, is that the way you improve anything is with education. Therapists and Instagram and YouTube could do a better job at verifying their licenses and degrees and trainings that therapists have. And if therapists and mental health professionals didn't have to talk about things in coded ways like eating disorders or social justice or anxiety or depression or suicidality, then I think that there could be like some really good education happening online. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6371479/mental-health-resolutions-2024/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6371479/mental-health-resolutions-2024/"},"headline":"9 Mental-Health Resolutions for 2024, According to Therapists","datePublished":"2023-12-27T12:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:48:48.635Z","description":"Rethink your social-media use, reconnect with a long lost friend, and stop ruminating about work.","url":"https://time.com/6371479/mental-health-resolutions-2024/","keywords":["Mental Health","healthscienceclimate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c175ee1e44ffaeb/698a435b9d83e898c9b97fcb/TIME.COM-mental-health-resolutions.gif?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Haupt","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/angela-haupt/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c175ee1e44ffaeb/698a435b9d83e898c9b97fcb/TIME.COM-mental-health-resolutions.gif?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIME.COM mental-health resolutions","caption":"","creditText":"Illustrations by Brown Bird Design for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/mental-health/","name":"Mental Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6371479/mental-health-resolutions-2024/","name":"9 Mental-Health Resolutions for 2024, According to Therapists"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Therapists Raise Red Flags About Using 'Therapy Speak' Online","description":"The classic vision of therapy revolved around a person on a couch, supine, tapping into their deepest and darkest hopes and fears. 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