Inaugural survey finds burnout, loneliness, and AI anxiety are each linked to measurable gaps in “inner life” capacities that psychologists say are trainable
NY, UNITED STATES, August 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sol today released the inaugural Sol Inner Life Index, a nationally distributed survey of 600 Americans examining how the inner human capacities that shape our relationships with ourselves, with others, and with something greater may be influencing some of the defining challenges of modern life: burnout, loneliness, and anxiety about AI.
The report reveals a striking contradiction: Americans know what makes life worthwhile – but struggle to live accordingly.
The Index found substantial gaps between what Americans value and how they experience their daily lives. Among the major findings:
1. Burnout may not just be about doing too much – but doing too much that feels disconnected from what matters. Nearly half of respondents report feeling emotionally or physically exhausted often or almost always. But frequent burnout affects 77% of respondents with low Wisdom – defined by mental clarity and values-based decision-making – versus 34% of those with high Wisdom. It also affects 78% of respondents with low values alignment versus 43% of those with high alignment. In both cases, a difference of ~2×.
2. The fastest path out of loneliness may begin with caring for someone else. Among respondents who almost always show intentional care, generosity, or emotional support toward others, 49% feel deeply connected to people who truly understand them, compared with just 6% among those who rarely show such care – an approximately 8× difference.
3. AI anxiety may be an identity challenge as well as a skills challenge. 56.2% of respondents are concerned that AI will reduce demand for their skills over the next decade. But the Index found that higher mental clarity, stronger relationship orientation, and less dependence on conventional measures of success are all associated with lower AI anxiety.
4. The barrier to building Relational Intelligence skills appears to be structure – not skepticism. Among respondents struggling to maintain a reflective or inner-life practice, initiation and consistency account for 48% of reported barriers, compared with only 18% attributable to skepticism or lack of interest.
“These findings suggest that some of the biggest challenges people are struggling with may not be solved only from the outside in,” said Nazar Yasin, Co-founder and CEO of Sol and author of the forthcoming book The New Smart. “Burnout is not just about workload, loneliness is not just about meeting people, and AI anxiety is not just about learning new technical skills. Again and again, the data points back to Relational Intelligence – how we relate to ourselves, to others, and to something greater.”
MEASURING AMERICA’S RELATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
The Sol Inner Life Index organizes these relationships into three trainable capacities that Sol calls Relational Intelligence:
* Wisdom: successfully relating to yourself – the ability to think clearly, make decisions that reflect your values, and regulate your emotional responses.
* Connection: successfully relating to others – the ability to connect, build relationships, and feel a sense of belonging with others.
* Meaning: successfully relating to something greater – the ability to feel connection to and appreciation of something larger than oneself.
The inaugural Sol Inner Life Score is 62/100, establishing a national baseline that Sol plans to track annually. Connection is currently the highest-scoring capacity at 70/100, followed by Wisdom at 62/100 and Meaning at 53/100.
“Inner capacities that determine the quality of our most fundamental relationships – with ourselves, with others, and with something larger than ourselves – are not merely personality traits,” said Dr. Lisa Miller, Professor of Psychology at Columbia University and Chief Science Officer of Sol. “They are trainable capacities that respond to deliberate practice.”
That trainability is central to the implications of the Index. Dr. Andrew Newberg, neuroscientist and Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, whose work informs the report’s framework, notes that the brain’s capacity to foster meaningful connections with oneself, others, and something greater is modifiable and can be strengthened through practice.
IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOLS
The report also examines what the findings may mean for institutions preparing people for a rapidly changing world.
Among respondents aged 16-24, 51% report frequent burnout, while younger respondents are 1.7× more likely than older respondents to say that stronger direction is the thing most missing from their lives. Young people are also more likely to value creativity (~4x), and to frequently experience a sense of awe and connection (~1.5x).
This youthful openness gives schools an important opportunity to help young people build the habits, identity, and direction that can endure beyond education.
The full results for schools and young people can be found in the Briefing for Schools.
IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
For leaders and organizations, the findings suggest that Relational Intelligence skills such as mental clarity, empathy, purpose, and values may be important drivers of burnout, AI anxiety, and overall employee wellbeing. The implication is that adapting employees to the challenges of the AI age may require not just technical reskilling, but relational reskilling.
The full results for leaders and organizations can be found in the Briefing for Organizations.
ABOUT SOL
Sol is an app for building the Relational Intelligence skills that lead to a healthy inner and outer life. It brings together personalized plans, guided daily practices, self-discovery tools, and community to help people make meaningful progress across goals including stress, emotional wellbeing, purpose, connection, spirituality, and healthier habits.
Learn more at getsol.app.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Nazar Yasin, Co-founder and CEO of Sol and author of the forthcoming book The New Smart, is available to discuss the Index, its implications for human value in the age of AI, and the findings for schools and organizations.
Dr. Lisa Miller, Professor of Psychology at Columbia University and Chief Science Officer of Sol, is available to discuss the science of relational capacities, human flourishing, spirituality, and youth development.
Dr. Andrew Newberg, neuroscientist and Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, is available to discuss the neuroscience of how the brain develops relational capacities, meaning, and connection.
Nazar Yasin
Sol Technologies, Inc.
press@getsol.app
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