In this crowded digital landscape where platforms and algorithms compete for our attention, Headspace sought to serve a different purpose: to help people pause, reset, and breathe.
In 2024, we set out to evolve the Headspace brand and reach new audiences by leveraging our vast content library in a way that not only engaged viewers but also empowered them to embark on their mental health journeys. Our vision was to make our mindfulness content accessible to audiences outside of our app, and to make our YouTube channel a resting ground for anxious minds seeking refuge from endless scrolling.
To achieve this, we experimented with new content formats that were easily digestible, emotionally resonant, and designed to offer relief in real-time. Whether it was helping users manage stress during global crises, election anxiety, or everyday struggles, our mission was to create a channel where mental well-being came first.
How do you make mindfulness engaging in an age of overstimulation? That was the challenge we set out to solve in 2024. Rather than simply posting long-form meditations, we reimagined our content strategy to meet viewers where they were—and when they needed us most.
Key Content Initiatives:
- Support in Challenging Times: In a year of uncertainty and loss, we created a playlist of free resources to support mental health on a global scale. This ensured that anyone—regardless of financial ability—had access to meditation and mindfulness content when they needed it most.
- Politics Without Panic: With a significant percentage of Americans reporting heightened stress during the election season, we launched a series of calming, research-backed videos to help viewers navigate political anxiety.
- The Shine Collection: Mindfulness should be for everyone. This initiative introduced a diverse network of mindfulness teachers who shared inclusive, feel-good exercises and discussions on topics like self-worth, LGBTQ+ experiences, and mental resilience.
- Headspace Breathing Exercises: Recognizing the rise of short-form content, we leaned into YouTube Shorts to interrupt doomscrolling with a moment of mindfulness. These animated breathing exercises encouraged users to pause, take a deep breath, and reset. This strategy helped us triple our Shorts views compared to the previous year.
- Navigating Fertility Together: Fertility challenges affect many, but are often not openly discussed. Headspace partnered with Spring Fertility to host a live event featuring mental health experts and fertility specialists, fostering an open conversation about the emotional highs and lows of planning a family. This event was accompanied by the "Support for Your Fertility Journey" collection, which included meditations, conversations, and expert insights to help individuals feel seen and supported. Additionally, we launched a two-part documentary series featuring Headspace Meditation Director Eve, who shared her personal experiences with fertility and mental health, offering comfort and community to those on similar journeys.
By combining timely interventions, inclusive storytelling, and behavioral psychology, we transformed our channel into an intentional space for mental well-being.
Our strategy delivered real impact—both in terms of metrics and meaningful engagement. We generated 25.6M total views in 2024, proving that mindfulness content was in demand for the YouTube community. We also experienced 3x growth in YouTube Shorts views, driven by our Headspace breathing exercises, proving that mindfulness can thrive in short-form video as well. We also noticed that the biggest driver of our traffic was from search, indicating that Headspace became an established go-to resource for mental health content. In addition to garnering healthy traffic to our channel, we also broke the average view duration record in December 2024 and kept our audiences engaged.
Our impact was clear from the love we saw in the comments:
Finding Post-Election Peace
- @jeansullivan2530 Thank you for the reminder that there is more to life than one impermanent event and for validating and then drawing peace from our natural emotional reactions <3
Yellowstone Meditation
- @elaynafk this brought me down from my panic attack- I always turn to headspace for comfort and grounding but this video was especially helpful. Dora’s voice is such a soft yet strong and comforting guide. Thank you Headspace for being the rock I can always count on for the last eight years
Video for Be Kind to Your Mind with Headspace
