New Headspace Report Shows America’s Workers Are Running on Empty, and It’s Getting Worse

Headspace survey finds nine in 10 U.S. workers are experiencing mental or cognitive strain on the job; for more than a third, it’s gotten worse over the past year

The company’s eighth annual report highlights an emerging chronic strain crisis, pointing to unclear company priorities, job security, and AI as top driving forces

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Headspace, the leading mental health companion for everyday support, today released its eighth annual Workforce State of Mind report, with data pointing to an emerging chronic strain crisis across the workforce stemming from the slow, relentless accumulation of mental and cognitive pressure that never fully powers down. With 92% of workers experiencing strain, these pressures have quietly intensified. About 37% of workers say that strain has increased in the past 12 months.

Behind the crisis is a workforce navigating too much change, too fast. Unclear company priorities, job insecurity, and constant organizational shifts have emerged as the top sources of strain, with AI adoption as the underpinning force of change fatigue. About 70% of employees say their organization has adopted new AI technologies, making it the single most common form of organizational change workers have experienced over the past year.

“Mental and cognitive strain are locked in a loop. You can't think straight when you're stressed, and you can't de-stress when your mind won't stop. AI is pouring fuel on that fire. We're seeing it at every level with workers running on empty at the exact moment they're being asked to do the hardest thinking of their careers,” said Lisa Mulrooney Gross, chief people officer at Headspace. “We can’t keep waiting until people are already burned out to act. The ones that tackle this gap earlier will have teams that can more confidently keep pace and better support their people.”

Key findings from the report:

AI is raising the bar for productivity at work and simultaneously eroding the very cognitive skills workers need most, with 76% unable to sleep and nearly half saying strain has compromised their judgment when using AI.

• Over 70% of workers report mental or cognitive strain has negatively affected their sleep (76%), ability to focus (73%), and productivity at work (70%).
• 44% say mental or cognitive strain has affected their ability to apply good judgment when using AI and new technologies.

Unclear priorities, job insecurity, and constant change are taking the biggest toll; 58% of workers are facing it without any resilience training.

• The top drivers of strain are unclear priorities (41%), job insecurity (37%), the pace of organizational change (29%), context-switching (26%), and use of new technologies including AI (24%).
• Among workers navigating organizational change, 51% have emotionally checked out, and 45% have felt resentful toward leadership.
• 58% of workers say they haven’t had a single hour of resilience, stress management, emotional intelligence, change management, or other cognitive skill training in the past year.
• 44% of people managers believe they’ve equipped individual contributors with the resilience skills to handle constant change, but only 23% of individual contributors agree.

The data show a consistent and troubling gender gap in workforce wellbeing. Women are carrying more strain, and receiving less; only 27% say their organization is meeting their mental health needs.

• 73% of women say mental or cognitive strain have hurt their productivity vs. 67% of men.
• Women report worse sleep quality (83% vs. 70%), inability to focus (80% vs. 67%), and disengagement at work (69% vs. 59%).
• Only 27% say their organization is meeting their mental health needs vs. 34% of men.

In addition to a comprehensive overview of the survey data, Headspace’s 2026 Workforce State of Mind report offers a roadmap for organizations on what to do next by supporting employees where they are, before challenges escalate. Alongside the data, the report includes a resilience strategy guide and free mental health resources from Headspace’s Mindfulness at Work collection. To download the report, visit https://hubs.li/Q04gtpDf0.

Methodology

Headspace commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey among 724 total U.S. workers aged 25 to 69, employed full-time at companies with more than 1,000 employees. Data was collected between April 3^rd to 16^th, 2026 and has a margin of error of ± 3.6% at the 95% level of confidence. Of the total, 505 are employees (individual contributors) and 219 are employers (people leaders). The data are not weighted.

About Headspace

Headspace is the leading everyday mental health companion, helping people care for their minds anytime, anywhere. Our all-in-one app delivers personalized support — from AI-powered guidance to meditation and mindfulness, coaching, and therapy — all designed to fit seamlessly into daily life. We are partnered with over 4,000 employers, health plans, and organizations to extend mental health care to their communities with a population health-led approach, offering additional services including psychiatry, EAP, care navigation, and work-life resources. Our team is made up of world-class clinicians, Emmy Award-winning storytellers, and leading AI technologists, working together to help millions around the globe build resilience and feel better. In a busy, complicated world, Headspace is here to remind you: your mind matters. Learn more at headspace.com.