Sol index links burnout, loneliness and AI anxiety to inner-life skills

Sol’s inaugural Inner Life Index surveyed 600 Americans and found that burnout, loneliness and AI anxiety track with measurable gaps in trainable capacities the company calls Relational Intelligence. The report argues schools and employers may need to focus less on technical fixes alone and more on clarity, connection and purpose.

Why it matters: - Sol’s new data suggests some of the biggest modern stressors may be tied to inner capacities that can be strengthened, not just external conditions that need to change. - The findings point to a possible shift in how schools and employers think about burnout, loneliness and AI-related fear. - The report frames mental clarity, connection and purpose as practical skills with real-world effects on wellbeing.

What happened: - Sol released the inaugural Sol Inner Life Index, a nationally distributed survey of 600 Americans, on August 13, 2026. - The survey examined how people relate to themselves, others and something greater, and how those capacities may connect to burnout, loneliness and anxiety about AI. - Sol said the index establishes a national baseline it plans to track annually. - The company described the effort as a measure of Relational Intelligence.

The details: - Nearly half of respondents said they feel emotionally or physically exhausted often or almost always. - Frequent burnout affected 77% of respondents with low Wisdom and 34% with high Wisdom, a gap of about 2x. - Frequent burnout affected 78% of respondents with low values alignment and 43% with high alignment, also about 2x. - Among respondents who almost always show intentional care, generosity or emotional support toward others, 49% said they feel deeply connected to people who truly understand them. - Only 6% of respondents who rarely show that kind of care reported the same feeling, an about 8x difference. - 56.2% of respondents said they are concerned AI will reduce demand for their skills over the next decade. - Higher mental clarity, stronger relationship orientation and less dependence on conventional success measures were associated with lower AI anxiety. - Among respondents struggling to maintain a reflective or inner-life practice, initiation and consistency accounted for 48% of reported barriers. - Skepticism or lack of interest accounted for 18% of those barriers. - Sol defines Relational Intelligence through three trainable capacities: Wisdom, Connection and Meaning. - Wisdom means relating well to yourself through clear thinking, values-based decisions and emotional regulation. - Connection means relating well to others through belonging and relationships. - Meaning means relating well to something greater through connection to and appreciation of something larger than oneself. - The index gave the U.S. an overall Inner Life Score of 62 out of 100. - Connection scored 70 out of 100, Wisdom scored 62 and Meaning scored 53. - Among respondents ages 16 to 24, 51% reported frequent burnout. - Younger respondents were 1.7x more likely than older respondents to say stronger direction is what is most missing from their lives. - Younger respondents were about 4x more likely to value creativity. - Younger respondents were about 1.5x more likely to frequently experience awe and connection. - Sol said the full results for schools and young people are available in its Briefing for Schools. - Sol said the full results for leaders and organizations are available in its Briefing for Organizations. - The company describes Sol as an app for building Relational Intelligence through personalized plans, guided daily practices, self-discovery tools and community. - Sol said the app supports goals including stress, emotional wellbeing, purpose, connection, spirituality and healthier habits. - More information is available at Learn more.

Between the lines: - The report argues burnout may reflect misalignment with values, not just workload. - The loneliness findings suggest connection may grow through outward care, not only through seeking company. - The AI results imply anxiety may be partly about identity and meaning, not only about reskilling. - The school findings suggest younger people may already be open to questions of purpose and direction, which could make them receptive to structured inner-life training. - The organizational findings suggest companies may need to pair technical AI adaptation with relational skills such as empathy, clarity and purpose. - Dr. Lisa Miller said the capacities are trainable and respond to deliberate practice. - Dr. Andrew Newberg said the brain’s capacity to build meaningful connections with self, others and something greater can be strengthened through practice.

What’s next: - Sol plans to track the Inner Life Index annually. - Sol is positioning the index as a tool for schools and organizations that want to prepare people for a rapidly changing, AI-shaped economy. - Nazar Yasin, Dr. Lisa Miller and Dr. Andrew Newberg are available to discuss the report and its implications.

The bottom line: - Sol is betting that burnout, loneliness and AI anxiety are not just external problems to manage, but trainable relational problems to address from the inside out.