How to check in on your friendships

Plus: What a weighted vest can—and can’t—do  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | November 11, 2026     Friendships are some of our most treasured relationships—and some of our most ignored. (While couples therapy is common, for instance, friendship therapy is not.) You and your best bud could probably use a five-minute friendship check-in. Later in this edition, my colleague Angela Haupt shows you how to do it. TODAY’S TOPICS What a weighted vest can—and can’t—do Inflation and mental health Charging for patient portal messages The 5-minute friendship check Why your alt-milk should be fortified         WORTH THE HYPE? Should you walk with a weighted vest? Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Image: Anthony Rosenberg—Getty Images) Your daily walk doesn’t have to get longer to get harder. Strapping on a weighted vest makes your muscles work more and ramps up the intensity of an otherwise low-impact workout. But claims that it’s a bone-density hack are ahead of the science: Research is limited, and a recent trial in older adults found that daily use didn’t prevent the bone-density loss that can come with weight loss. The verdict: Worth considering if you want to make walks or body-weight exercises more challenging. Start light—experts suggest 5–10% of your body weight—and try just 10 minutes before gradually building up. If you have balance problems or neck, shoulder, or back injuries, check with your doctor first. Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY HUBSPOT FOR STARTUPS Sales Owns Retention, Not Just Closed Deals November 19th, 11am ET / 8am PT. Pebl’s Chief Business Officer, Dutta Satadip, joins The GTM Garage to show how Pebl merged Operations and GTM under one leader, and how it aligned goals and incentives across the customer lifecycle. You’ll also see how Pebl uses AI across that lifecycle and the stack behind prospecting, pipeline, and handoff to onboarding. 15 min conversation. 15 min open Q&A. For Seed to Series A teams. Request Your Spot         INSIGHT OF THE DAY Higher food prices and mental health High grocery prices might not only threaten a family’s finances and menu, but their mental health as well. That’s the finding of a recent study in the journal Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, based on data gathered in 2022 and 2023 by the U.S. Census Bureau.  The researchers divided people into categories based on how drastically they adjusted their coping behaviors as inflation pushed up prices. Some used relatively small strategies, such as switching to generic brands, while others made major sacrifices like taking on a second job, going without food, or delaying medical care to afford groceries. The researchers also analyzed the self-reported anxiety levels of participants.  Anxiety was highest among people who made a broad range of sacrifices. Further price increases were linked to relatively little additional anxiety in this group—possibly because their distress was already so high, the authors suggest. —Jeffrey Kluger         SPONSORED BY SUPERHUMAN AI 1,000+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist. But most professionals are using it to fix grammar. These 1,000+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant. Sign up for Superhuman AI and get: 1,000+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning Claim your free prompts         CAN THEY DO THAT? Can a doctor’s office charge you for messaging providers through your health portal? Yes. New billing codes introduced in 2020 enable clinicians to charge patients for time they spend addressing concerns asynchronously through a patient portal. While most doctor’s offices don’t do this, around 500 health care groups do, according to a 2024 report in JAMA. Whether they should bill is a fraught question. Clinicians can spend a lot of time on these messages, but commodifying the small interactions of a doctor-patient relationship may repel patients enough that theyto seek care elsewhere. —Alana Semuels         TIME TO TALK How to check in on a friendship Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Image: Giulio Fornasar—Getty Images) You know your best friend’s coffee order and feelings about her boss. But do you know whether she wishes you called more? A quick friendship check-in can surface the lovely things you haven’t said—and small hurts to address before they grow. Start with what’s working Over coffee or on a walk, ask: “What’s working for you in this friendship right now?” Then tell her specifically what you appreciate. Make room for honesty Try: “How do you feel about how often we talk?” or “Is there anything I could show up better for?” If the answer stings, listen before defending yourself. This isn’t a performance review; ideally, there should still be laughter. —Angela Haupt Read the full story here.         SPONSORED TIME100 Most Influential Companies is expanding TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. With new Exceptional Workplaces categories, the TIME100 Companies publication is expanding to recognize businesses pioneering new approaches to how people work, from flexible and hybrid work to technology integration and career development.  Because it’s no longer just what you do, but how you do it.  Submit your company.         WHAT WE’RE READING Could a cancer treatment help people with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder? Andrew Gregory at the Guardian reports on promising early results. Could your oat milk be missing essential nutrients? Margherita Bassi at Smithsonian explains why choosing fortified dairy alternatives matters.  Ethiopia’s health care system was once considered a model for Africa. But now, the country is experiencing renewed war and targeted attacks on hospitals, Durrie Bouscaren reports for NPR.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe

The best ways to relieve sciatica pain

Plus: The silver linings of an aging world  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | November 10, 2026     Recently, several of you—our Health Matters newsletter readers—wrote in asking for more information about sciatica. Though it’s common, it can be frustrating and debilitating. What often helps in the long run—staying physically active—can feel uncomfortable or even painful. Later in today’s newsletter, my colleague Angela Haupt talks with spine specialists about which physical therapies can help sciatica, which may aggravate it, and how to navigate the treatment options. TODAY’S TOPICS AI rehab A drop in gender equality The science of sweat How to relieve sciatica pain The silver linings of an aging world         QUICK CHAT Will we need AI rehab? I recently interviewed Erica Dhawan, author of the forthcoming book Use Your Brain, about how to stop outsourcing so much of our thinking to AI. At one point, our conversation took a turn I hadn't expected: Could people become so dependent on chatbots that they eventually need rehab to stop using them? I was only half-joking when I asked. Dhawan, it turns out, thinks we should take the possibility seriously. —Angela Haupt This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Curly_photo—Getty Images Can people become so dependent on AI that they struggle to think without it? I think it's an addiction, like social media or coffee. We have to shift our mindset around when to trust the tool and when not to jump to it. It's about remembering to talk to people and think for ourselves. I asked whether we might someday need tech-free rehab. You didn't think that was such a crazy idea. We're going to have to have tech-free rehab. I'm telling you. I created a website called Moms Against AI Addiction, with a family pledge to protect thinking in your own family. We've addressed things like drunk driving and social media, and I think we need to fight AI addiction, too. Do programs like that actually exist yet? I think they do for social media, but not for AI yet. How can someone start breaking the habit before it gets to that point? With my kids, I have a rule. If they ask a question, like when dinosaurs went extinct, I first ask, “What do you think?” Then I tell them to ask a human—a family member or teacher. Only after they've done those two things can they try AI. We have to remember that we talked to people before AI came along.         SPONSORED BY SUPERHUMAN AI 200+ Proven Ways to Make Money With AI in 2026 The next wave of millionaires will be people who figured out how to make AI work for them. The window to get ahead is still open. But not for long. Here are 200+ proven ways to make money with AI in 2026. Sign up for Superhuman AI, the free daily newsletter read by 1M+ professionals, and get instant access to all 200+ ways to profit from AI this year. Claim your free list         BIG NUMBER 38 The U.S.’s place in a ranking of gender equality of 130 countries, according to the Equal Measures Gender Equality Index out today. The U.S. dropped 15 places since 2020 due in part to its increasingly restrictive abortion laws.  The U.S. isn’t alone in its decline: Other high-income countries, such as Canada and New Zealand, also dropped several spaces on the list.  Overall, women’s political representation and influence have weakened globally, the report authors write, as has their satisfaction with health care. —Alana Semuels         THE QUOTE THAT STUCK ❝   Believe it or not, everyone's salt content in their sweat is different.   Dr. Douglas Farrell, Mount Sinai Hospital Farrell, a nephrologist, works at a hospital near the finish line of the New York City Marathon, giving him a front-row seat to health problems in runners. I spoke with him for my recent article about rhabdomyolysis, a condition where muscle cells break down and die due to triggers like extreme exercise.  He explained why it’s difficult to tell runners exactly how to balance water intake and electrolyte intake during a race. Because people handle water and electrolytes like salt differently, the right combo varies by person. —Veronique Greenwood Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY THE DEEP VIEW Stop Drowning In AI Information Overload Your inbox is flooded with newsletters. Your feed is chaos. Somewhere in that noise are the insights that could transform your work—but who has time to find them? The Deep View solves this. We read everything, analyze what matters, and deliver only the intelligence you need. No duplicate stories, no filler content, no wasted time. Just the essential AI developments that impact your industry, explained clearly and concisely. Replace hours of scattered reading with five focused minutes. While others scramble to keep up, you'll stay ahead of developments that matter. 600,000+ professionals at top companies have already made this switch. Join them today, for free.         PLEASE ADVISE Here’s a great question we received from a reader: Are there any physical therapies that actually work for sciatica? Which exercises or treatments help—and could anything make the pain worse? Artur Debat—Getty Images Yes—physical therapy can help, but the right exercises depend on what’s irritating the nerve, says Dr. Keven Burns, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Spine Institute of Arizona. Bending backward may ease some people’s symptoms from a herniated disc, for example, while someone with spinal stenosis—a narrowing around the nerves—may feel better leaning forward. A physical therapist can help you figure out which movements bring relief. Start with short walks if you can tolerate them, experts advise. As pain settles down, your therapist may add exercises like bridges or modified planks to strengthen the muscles supporting your spine. Beware of aggressive stretching, though. “More stretching doesn’t necessarily mean more improvement,” Burns says. Pay attention to where the pain goes. If an exercise sends it farther down your leg, stop and tell your therapist. Increasing numbness or new weakness needs medical attention; new trouble urinating, loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around your groin calls for an immediate ER visit. —A.H. Got a health question of your own? Send it our way to healthmatters@time.com, and we might tackle it in a future edition.  This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Read the full story here.         SPONSORED TIME100 Most Influential Companies is expanding TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. With new Exceptional Workplaces categories, the TIME100 Companies publication is expanding to recognize businesses pioneering new approaches to how people work, from flexible and hybrid work to technology integration and career development.  Because it’s no longer just what you do, but how you do it.  Submit your company.         WHAT WE’RE READING Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu writes for TIME that our aging world needs us to invest in technology and adapt our institutions to the demands of longer lives. The top scourge of cruise ship passengers over the last 30 years is norovirus, but other illnesses are also spreading, writes Mary Von Beusekom for CIDRAP. How do you build vaccine trust during a measles outbreak? Maria Godoy at NPR reports on Pennsylvania health workers making house calls to Amish families.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe