Look Up: an antidote to professional loneliness and modern burnout
Moon November 4.2025.
Last night, I stepped outside my home, lifted my gaze, and saw the Moon.
There it was: whole, bright, silent.
And it reminded me of something many of us forget in our hyper-connected era:
We need to look up.
The crisis not showing up on meeting agendas
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024, 1 in 5 professionals worldwide feels lonely every day.
And remote workers report 25% more loneliness than those who go into an office.
But loneliness isn’t just a remote-work issue.
What we are losing is connection with something greater than our tasks and screens.
We walk through life looking down:
✦ Literally: glued to our phones
✦ Mentally: trapped in to-dos and urgency
✦ Emotionally: disconnected from meaning and perspective
The cost? Productivity, life… and purpose
Gallup also reports that if the global workforce were truly engaged, the world would gain up to $9.6 trillion in productivity.
And beyond money:
People without social connection have double the risk of mortality, regardless of physical health.
When we don’t look up:
✦ Our inner world shrinks
✦ We ruminate
✦ Life feels heavier
✦ Connection fades
When we do:
✦ Perspective returns
✦ Our nervous system resets
✦ We remember we’re not alone
✦ Clarity opens up
This is not romanticism.
This is neuroscience applied to leadership and wellbeing.
Yes, there is something bigger… and we also hold responsibility
Looking up reminds us there is something greater than ourselves.
But connecting with that “something greater” is not passive.
It is a practice.
It is a choice.
And it is a responsibility.
We can’t only look outward without asking:
What is my role in creating the connection I seek?
Loneliness isn’t solved only by adding people around us.
It is solved through presence, intention, and active participation.
And leaders play a critical role
Leadership matters. Deeply.
Cultures of “stay in your lane,” “don’t bother anyone,” and “just get things done”… fuel disconnection.
Leaders have the responsibility to:
✦ Create spaces where opinions matter
✦ Recognize individual strengths
✦ Foster real conversations
✦ Model wellbeing, not just demand performance
Connection is built.
It does not happen by accident.
Engagement: the most powerful antidote
Engaged employees are 64% less likely to feel lonely (Gallup).
Not because they have more friends, but because:
✦ They feel seen
✦ Their strengths matter
✦ They know they contribute to something bigger
And here’s the truth:
Deep connection does not always begin at work.
It often begins when you remember there is a sky above you… and you choose to participate in life more consciously.
Your 30-second practice
Next time you step outside, even if just to take out the trash:
Look up
Take three deep breaths
Notice something that reminds you life is bigger than your calendar
Ask yourself: What action can I take today to build the connection I seek?
That is emotional regulation.
That is leadership.
That is personal responsibility.
And that small act might be the first step toward feeling less alone.
Pause and reflect
When was the last time you looked up and claimed your active role in building connection and wellbeing, for yourself and others?
If this message resonated, share it with someone who may need it today.
✎ Want greater clarity in your professional purpose?
Send me a message.
I support leaders and professionals to reconnect with themselves and lead their life and teams from a more conscious, human, and powerful place.
#Leadership #Purpose #VidaCoach
