Mental health goals can help people focus on things like improving self-esteem, emotional regulation, or interpersonal relationships.
Taking a S.M.A.R.T. approach to goal setting can increase your chances of making your goals a reality.
A therapist can support you in identifying goals and being an accountability partner as you work toward achieving them.
When you want to achieve something, you might set goals to work toward. A goal can help you realize what steps you need to take along the way and provide a sense of accomplishment.
Setting mental health goals can help you focus on what’s most important to you — whether that’s improving emotional regulation, practicing more self-care, getting more rest, or more consistently going to therapy.
Mental health goals can also offer accountability. Like with many things worth achieving, there will likely be bumps along the way. Goals can help keep you on track when difficult moments inevitably arise.
How goal setting boosts mental health
Goal setting is a cornerstone of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can empower us to recognize our negative, untrue thought patterns and transform them into more helpful or realistic ones. This can affect our behavior positively, because how we think often affects how we act.
For example, someone might find themselves caught in cycles of negative self-talk. These thoughts repeat in their head most of the day, impacting their self-esteem. Together with their CBT therapist, they set a goal to acknowledge an accomplishment every week.
As they stick to this goal for a few weeks, they feel better about themselves. While they still have those negative thoughts, they occur less and, when they do arise, it’s easier to challenge them.
Goal setting can boost mental health, giving you motivation, a sense of purpose, and increased self-esteem.
When can goal setting be bad for mental health?
While goal setting can improve your mental health, it can also backfire depending on how it’s done. Goals can become unhealthy when they’re unrealistic, too rigid, or tied to your self-worth. An all-or-nothing mindset can also make a small setback feel like a failure.
For example, if you have a condition like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you might wash your hands 30 times a day. Giving yourself an unrealistic goal like, “I’ll only wash my hands five times per day” can set you up to fail — and negatively impact your mental health.
Setting mental health goals with a therapist can help you determine which ones will actually support your well-being. Once you’ve established which goals are realistic and helpful, a therapist can provide support and accountability along the way.
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S.M.A.R.T. goals for mental health
To discover what mental health goals are right for you, start with some reflection. Think about what is and isn’t working for you when it comes to your mental health. Maybe you excel at being calm under pressure in work situations. But your personal relationships can suffer because you don’t always know how to emotionally regulate.
So, you might set a goal like, “I want to practice emotional regulation to improve my relationships.”
This is a good start. But to increase the chances of success, set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Each letter in S.M.A.R.T. stands for an aspect of the goal.
S stands for specific
M stands for measurable
A stands for attainable
R stands for relevant
T stands for time-based
To apply the S.M.A.R.T. approach to the goal above, you might adjust it to, “I’ll practice emotional-regulation exercises like deep breathing two times per day for three weeks.”
Dig deeper:
Examples of mental health goals
You might know you want to improve your mental health but aren’t sure which goals to focus on. Here are some examples of S.M.A.R.T. mental health goals. You can use one of these goals as a template and then adapt them to your specific circumstances to make sure they are measurable and applicable.
Journal once a day to improve anxiety and depression symptoms. Journaling has many mental health benefits, including improving anxiety and depression symptoms. It can also help you realize inner insights, set the tone for your day, create a sense of calm, and help you practice discipline.
Go for a walk three times per week to reduce stress. Finding ways to move that bring you joy, whether it’s walking or yoga or dancing, reduce stress, and lessen depression and anxiety symptoms.
Dedicate one day per week to relaxing self-care. It’s essential to make time for yourself, even with a busy schedule. “Me time” can help with self-reflection, processing emotions, feeling rested, and facing life’s challenges.
Practice mindfulness every morning to feel grounded. You can build resilience and manage stress more effectively with mindfulness exercises. Practicing these in the morning can help you start your day off right.
Make yourself a nourishing lunch on weekdays. Support yourself and your mental health with foods that help you feel energized and nourished throughout the day. Nutrition can affect everything from your cognitive function to your emotions.
Go to bed at the same time five nights per week. A regular bedtime can help you build a more consistent sleep routine. Getting enough quality sleep can support your mood, stress levels, and overall mental health.
Connect with someone you care about once per week. Call a friend, meet someone for coffee, or make plans with a family member. Regular social connection can help you feel supported and less isolated.
Practice one coping skill when you feel stressed. Choose a strategy, like deep breathing, grounding, or taking a short break, and practice using it when stress comes up. Over time, this can help you build healthier ways to cope with difficult moments.
How to make mental health goals your own
Mental health goals aren't one-size-fits-all. The right goals should reflect your needs, lifestyle, and what feels realistic for you right now. Start by thinking about an area of your mental health you’d like to improve.
Then, make the goal small and specific enough to fit into your daily life. Consider your schedule, energy level and any barriers that could make the goal difficult to reach. It’s OK to adjust your goal if your needs or circumstances change.
Therapy can also help you set mental health goals that fit your needs. A therapist can help you identify areas to work on, create realistic steps, and adjust your goals as you make progress.
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In my clinical work, the biggest pitfall I see is that when people try to improve their mental health or set their own goals, they make them too vague and too big. When we feel stuck, we want big change, but most change happens one right step at a time. S.M.A.R.T. goals allow my clients to take those next right steps.
Elise Miller, MA, LPC
Clinical reviewer
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Setting goals for your mental health can help you learn more about yourself and boost your quality of life. But if your goals aren’t realistic and specific, they can actually become a source of stress. If you’re finding it difficult to set or achieve goals for your mental health, consider seeking support. Therapy can help you create goals that align with your values and hold you accountable for achieving them.
At Rula, we’re here to help you feel better. Rula makes it easy to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who takes your insurance. That way, you don’t have to choose between great care and a price you can afford.
Rula patients pay about $15 per session with insurance, and 93% say they feel better after getting care through Rula. We have 21,000+ providers, and appointments are available as soon as tomorrow. We’re here to help you take the next step — wherever you are in your mental health journey.
Siobhan Neela-Stock
Siobhan Neela-Stock is a writer and journalist who focuses on health, particularly mental health. She earned her master's in journalism from Northwestern University in 2018 and worked at Mashable for over two years where she focused on social good reporting.
Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, SELF, Fortune, Verywell Health, among other publications. Neela-Stock also teaches writing and journalism at several universities.
She enjoys traveling, dancing, playing dodgeball, and spending time with her loved ones.
Elise Miller, MA, LPC
Elise received her Masters in Professional Counseling from Liberty University and went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in Texas and Colorado. She has served in many facets of the mental health field including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, intensive outpatient programs, hospice, and mental health tech. She is currently working as an outpatient therapist in private practice.
Elise is also a mom of three little ones and brings this experience into her counseling work with fellow moms. Elise’s work comes from a place of deep compassion and lived experience along with her extensive training and specialization.
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Rula’s editorial team is on a mission to make science-backed mental health insights accessible and practical for every person seeking to better understand or improve mental wellness.
Members of Rula’s clinical leadership team and other expert providers contribute to all published content, offering guidance on themes and insights based on their firsthand experience in the field. Every piece of content is thoroughly reviewed by a clinician before publishing.
