Social Distancing-induced Deceleration Can Enhance Subjective Well-being

Modern societies provide an abundance of opportunities, which could lead to acceleration and time poverty, thereby paradoxically limiting well-being. This study examines this issue using social distancing measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed a data set of over four million responses, collected by the German online newspaper "ZEIT ONLINE," where people responded to the question "How are you today?" with "good" or "bad," assessing subjective well-being, and an optional self-descriptive adjective of mood. The results showed that subjective well-being significantly increased with the onset of social distancing regulations. This increase was closely accompanied by a rise in adjectives associated with deceleration, the daily usage of which best predicted daily well-being during COVID-19. Factor analysis showed that Factor 1 best predicted daily well-being and was effectively described by adjectives associated with deceleration. An analysis of potential mechanisms of deceleration during the pandemic revealed lower stress levels during workdays and weekends, as well as better sleep. These findings provide large-scale support to theories suggesting that acceleration and time poverty in modern societies may impair well-being.