Experiencing awe in daily life is linked to lower loneliness

Abstract

Abstract Loneliness affects 55% of healthcare workers, putting them at risk for health problems. These include mental health issues (e.g., depression and anxiety) and physical ailments (e.g., inflammation, heart disease, and increased substance abuse). Despite the well-established link between loneliness and health, research on healthcare workers’ experiences of loneliness remains limited. To address this gap, we conducted a 22-day daily diary study to test whether daily awe predicts reduced loneliness in healthcare workers. Our within-person analyses showed that participants who experienced more awe than usual reported less loneliness on the same day. Notably, this association remained significant after controlling for other positive emotions known to benefit well-being and was replicated in a community sample. Further analysis showed that the sense of connectedness, central to awe, accounted for the link between awe and loneliness in both samples. These findings suggest that moments of awe can be an antidote to loneliness and its health costs.