Beyond Coaching: How Financial Security Boosts Better Sleep & Stronger Purpose (New Study)

We often treat coaching as an individual process – and it is. But what happens when one big puzzle piece around us shifts?

We all remember the Finland study on universal basic income, right? A few years back, participants received €560 per month – no strings attached. The results? Lower stress levels, improved wellbeing, and stable employment rates.

Now, Germany has followed up with a similar experiment.

A few days ago, the results of the privately funded universal basic income study were released. The study was conducted by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schupp, Senior Research Fellow at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), together with Dr. Sandra Bohmann from the Socio-Economic Panel infrastructure unit.

The project was built on the same idea, but with a higher monthly amount, longer duration, and a direct comparison group. This allowed the researchers to compare against baseline behavior without universal basic income, making the findings more robust.

The participants were individuals between the ages of 21 and 40, living alone, with a monthly net income between €1,100 and €2,600.

Interestingly, the group was composed equally of basic income supporters and skeptics – to avoid bias from overly positive expectations. Well done!

The results? Space for agency and growth. Let’s take a closer look!

My Context: Coaching

Individual coaching is in constant dialogue with systems, expectations, and societal dynamics. The essence of my integral coaching approach is this: transformation emerges when we align our inner and outer world – as well as the individual and the collective.

That’s why, in coaching, we look at the whole picture through different perspectives: your values, identity, behaviors, relationships. But also the systems around you. Your environment. The culture you work in. The structures that either support or block your development.

When we change a structure, we create space for different behaviors, different decisions, different lives.

So… when something might shift structurally – like financial security through universal basic income – I’m getting curious!

That’s exactly the kind of change that could ripple through these different perspectives. And now, we have some freshly released data to explore what those ripples actually look like.

As always, here’s my disclaimer: As research progresses, our insights may shift over time. Also, what appears as a significant result in one study or context may not apply universally. Human experiences are complex, and findings like these offer valuable perspectives, not absolute truths.

The Setup: €1,200 a Month

Give people €1,200 a month, unconditionally, for three years – ask them to fill out a 25-minute survey every six months, and observe what happens:

• Do they work less?
• Do they withdraw from society?
• Or do we see something else entirely?

Let’s start with the big question everyone has in mind: Did people stop working?

The Results: Purpose & More

They didn’t. On average, all participants continued working around 40 hours per week. Based on the results from the Finland study, that’s not really surprising.

But many changed their jobs, prioritized professional development, and reported higher satisfaction – both with their work and their lives. Here are some of the results:

• More satisfaction & deeper sense of purpose
• More engagement in professional development
• More career changes during the first 1.5 years of the study
• Clear improvements in mental and physical health – including better sleep

Another striking result: a greater sense of autonomy – especially among women. People also saved more, some donated more or shared their new financial resources.

Again, the participants didn’t work more or less than before or compared to the control group. However, many reported that they felt (!) they had more time. Yes, read that again.

Key Psychological Mechanisms

So, what underlying dynamics are at play here? According to the Psychologists for Social Change (2017), there are a few:

• Agency: A universal basic income can increase people’s sense of control and mastery over their resources, choices and environment, which is crucial for well-being.
• Security: The predictability of a guaranteed income reduces the psychological burden of financial uncertainty. This is associated with reduced distress, depression, strained relationships, and better cognitive functions.
• Connection: With basic financial needs met, people have more time – and energy – for relationships, community, and shared activities.
• Meaning: It opens the door to exploring other meaningful job options – like changing careers or pursuing different kinds of professional development. Options that might be more aligned with personal values and could also lead to prioritizing creative projects or volunteering.

Additionally, greater income equality is linked to higher levels of trust, social cohesion, and cooperation.

I think this is what we should be talking about when discussing social changes. Not whether people work less, but whether they feel more connected, healthy, and alive.

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